Niisan! 2: Nori's Choice
by blackdragon333
Summary: Niisan! was such a hit, and so many people asked for a sequel. So, what happens when Kisame decides he's angry that Nori killed Itachi? Two characters die and Nori and Konoha go into shock, that's what...one more death to go, but I bet you know who it is.
1. Marriage Marks

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Do own Nori. I get super tired of writing this bitch every time, so the disclaimer counts for the ENTIRE story. K?

CHAAAAAAA! u I'M SO EXCITED!!!! You all loved Nii-san! so much...I decided to give you a sequel! But, before we get to the smallish intro, there are a few people I gotta thank.

Suko-chan: You've been so great! The Wild Adventures of Itachi, Kisame, Suko-chan, and Dragon-san WILL happen...we'll just have Tobi stand in for Itachi!

(Tobi: nice guy pose)

Kyatsu-chan: You wanted a sequel...here it is! And, let's just say...you got your wish ;)

Valinor's Twilight: I decided to write a sequel!

A.D. Grey: Thanks for all the good reviews!

Luna.The.Betrayed.Ninja: Thanks for reviewing so faithfully, even if some did get cut off a little bit :D And...CHIBI BUTT SMEX right back to your friend! lol

itachi349: thanks for reviewing!

akelia: I'm a girl u 

LittleAngel22493: thank you for the reviews!

sakuraharuno-cherryblossom: Since you're most obviously a Sakura fan, you should like this one. She gets more spotlight time in here than she did before!

Saikio: I know you're mad and probably haven't even read the first story, but if you should read this, I hope you enjoy!

Did: uh...yeah. Don't diss her until you read the whole thing.

And, to all of ya'll: OVER 1000 VIEWS AND OVER 50 REVIEWS!!!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS?!?!?! I'm not a worthless writer:D

Thanks, guys.

Now...

ON WITH THE STORY!!!

HERE WE GO!

"Ha!" Screamed Nori, launching ten kunai one right after the other. "Take that, Iruka!"

He backflipped, dodging them, and countered by sending about fifteen shuriken straight towards her vital spots. "I'd rather not, thanks!"

She growled as she dropped and rolled out of the way. As she came up again, she launched a shuriken at him. It was a single shuriken, and he expected some sort of trick, so he simply dodged it, then looked around for more weapons coming towards him, forgetting about Nori for a split second.

That split second was what she had been counting on. "Don't overanalyze, Iruka." She said as she knocked him to the ground, knelt on top of him, and held her kunai to his throat. She pressed down with it until it drew blood.

Then, they both smiled.

She pulled the kunai off his throat and slid it into her ninja bag, and he pulled his out and nicked her throat as well. At the same time, they wiped the blood off with their thumbs, then pressed it into the other's wound. Then, they looked up at the Third Hokage, barely able to contain their smiles.

The Third smiled down at them fondly. "You now have become part of each other. You will each carry the other's blood with you forever, no matter what. Even in the face of danger, you will know that the other is with you, their blood running through your veins. The ceremony you have performed today is acknowledging a bond as deep as the one that runs through every ninja in this village with the village itself. It is a sacred bond, one that can never be broken. It is a heavy responsibility...but it is also a worthwhile one." His face had grown sober, but a smile spread across it at those last words. "You are now life-partners. Congratulations, Nori and Iruka."

As they kissed, their friends and family cheered them on. Nori's parents looked at each other, a little confused.

"Dear...are they married now?" Asked Mrs. Haruno.

"I suppose so, honey." Answered Mr. Haruno. "I'm not entirely sure..."

Sakura looked up at them. "Geeze, you guys. Yeah, they're married now. Life-partners? Get it?" She sighed. "I thought you would've known that ninja weddings were different from normal ones."

She turned back to watching her sister, who was happily and adoringly watching her husband, who was staring back at her lovingly and devotedly. Sakura smiled. 'What a sap.' Then, she giggled. 'It was so obvious she was holding back. If this were a real fight...Iruka would be dead.'

Then, she looked to her left, where Naruto and Sasuke were sitting, and began to dream of the day she would marry Sasuke.

No one noticed when Hatake Kakashi slipped quietly away.

THERE IT GOES!

KYAHHH! This is the end of the beginning of the continuance of the end of the beginning of the first story! WOOOHOOOOO!

(Fancy way to say: First chapter of the sequel!)

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!

BlackDragon333, out.


	2. Partners In Battle

Here's the next chapter! It's a little short, but the next chapter's longer I believe. Enjoy!

"Watch your left Iruka!" Called Nori as she attacked the shinobi from the Hidden Mist.

"Thanks, Nori. Be careful of your back!"

She spun around to catch a kunoichi in the stomach with a kunai. "Thanks, Iruka!"

Just then, she slammed down onto a ninja that was coming at Iruka from the right. She smiled at him. "Hey...there's a ninja on your right."

"I suggest you two act less like teenagers and more like ninjas!" Asuma chided. "We're in the middle of a battle!"

"But...I _am_ a teenager." Said Nori, slightly puzzled, as she stabbed a Chuunin through the kidney. "What do you mean?"

Asuma drilled the last Jounin through the lung, then turned to face Nori and Iruka. "You two are making it completely obvious that you're life-partners, or at least more than teammates! Why do you think life-partners are required to cover up their marriage marks before a mission?"

"Diplomacy?" Guessed Nori.

"The other countries find them indecent?" Asked Iruka.

"No! It's so the other shinobi don't know there's any attachment! The extent of the attachment between shinobi on the same team is supposed to only be that of teammates. You are only to serve as support in a fight. If the others know that there is an attachment between two ninja, they can use it against them. Nori. If an opposing shinobi grabbed Iruka and told you that he'd kill him unless you dropped your weapons, what would you do?"

"Send a shuriken through his face before he even had the chance."

Asuma sweatdropped and Iruka snickered at Nori's unexpected answer. Asuma quickly thought up a response. "A strong ninja. Like...Kisame for instance."

"...drop my weapons."

"And supposing this ninja decided to kill you. Iruka's still in his clutches. What happens next?"

"He...kills Iruka."

"Right. And now, since the two of you are dead, what happens to me?"

"He kills you too."

"Right. And now that all three of us are dead, what else happens?"

"Uh...we stay dead?"

"No. Well, yes, but other than that, Konoha has lost an Academy instructor, its weapons master, and the best medical ninja since Tsunade. Also, whatever country has managed to kill us now has all of our jutsus, and the secrets of how we've trained."

Nori and Iruka were quiet, chastened and thoughtful as well. Nori looked up at Asuma. "So I guess that just means we can't show any affection in battle?"

"Right."

She looked over at Iruka. "I guess I can handle that. How about you?"

He smiled and pulled her into his arms, kissing her lips softly. "Well, we're not in battle any more, now are we?"

Asuma sighed and looked towards the sky. "Just kill me now."

Nori slid her arms around Iruka, then looked over at Asuma. "Why are you asking to die if you just yelled at us for putting you at risk of being killed?"

Asuma just sighed again. "It's disgustingly cute."

"Like kittens and cupcakes?"

"No. Sickeningly cute. Like...well...you guys."

Iruka laughed. "You're just upset because Kurenai's not here."

Asuma turned away so they couldn't see his blush. "Come on. We're heading home."

Iruka and Nori smirked at each other, then let go of each other and began to walk. After a quick kiss, of course.

Asuma, Nori, and Iruka headed back to Konoha without any more interference. As they walked, however, something occurred to Nori. "Hey, Asuma?"

He looked at her over his shoulder. "Hmm?"

"Well, you said that the other ninja would take our village's training secrets and our jutsus if we died. Well...why don't Konohan ninja take the secrets and jutsus of other villages?"

Asuma was momentarily stumped. "Well...I'm not entirely sure. I'd guess it's because our village is the strongest, so we don't need their training secrets. I'm not sure about the jutsu thing either, but it could be a matter of pride as well. We don't need their jutsus...ours are better anyway."

'Hmm.' Thought Iruka. 'I guess that's why she's a Jounin. I never would have thought to ask about that.'

Asuma was a little surprised as well. 'That never even occurred to me. I'll have to ask Dad when we get back.'

They walked on in silence, and once they reached Konoha and reported to Sarutobi, they went their separate ways. Iruka had a lesson to prepare at the academy, and Asuma had a mission with his Genin to handle. Nori, on the other hand, was free for a while, so she walked over to the park and sat down on her favorite bench, ready to enjoy an afternoon of peace and quiet.

Ten seconds later...

"NII-SAN!"

Nori frowned, then opened her eyes. She looked up to see Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura running down the path towards her. She smiled anyway, always happy to see them.

"Hey! What's the rush?"

"We want to go on a mission!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Kakashi-sensei's not here." added Sasuke.

"So...we were wondering..." Sakura began.

"Wondering if your big sister would take you on a mission, is that it?" She teased.

All three nodded.

"Well...I just got back from a mission...but...since it's for the three of you...ok."

She grinned as they cheered happily.

"Let's go!" Exclaimed Naruto, running down the road.

"Hey, hyper, I just got back! Let's not rush!" Called Nori, but, laughing, she ran after him. She called to Sasuke and Sakura over her shoulder, laughing. "Come on!"

Sakura shrugged and ran after her sister, giggling. Then, Sasuke, with a small smile on his face, ran after them as well.

That's it for chapter 2! I like the next chapter better, but that's ok lol. Read and Review!!!

BlackDragon333, out.


	3. Enter Kisame!

OH GOD you guys it's like 2:30 in the morning and i am SOOOOOO tired. and when i get tired...I get hyper! 0 twitch

HERE IT IS!!!! And now...to bed!

"That was the best mission EVER!" yelled Naruto, punching the air with his fist. "You were so cool, Nori! Ten times better than Sasuke!"

Sasuke frowned.

Nori just laughed. "Well, I _am_ a Jounin. I'm supposed to be far better than Genin, or how could I rightfully call myself a Jounin?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of Sasuke's mouth, but Naruto had been distracted by the mention of the fact that she was a Jounin. "Nori, Nori, tell me about some of your missions!"

"Mission details are supposed to be secret, stupid." said Sakura.

Nori smiled apologetically. "She's right, Naruto. Mission details are supposed to stay secret, remember?"

"Oh yeah." He said, slightly put out. His energy came back in full force, though, when he realized that they were going to be home in five minutes. "Hey! We'll be back in Konoha any minute!"

"You'd think that, wouldn't you."

Nori heard the voice, and recognized it instantly. She pulled Naruto and Sasuke back with her arms and grabbed Sakura's shirt with her teeth. She jumped backwards, taking all three of them with her, just as Kisame's sword slammed down where they had been only a few seconds ago. Their backs were facing the village, and she turned them around so they were facing it. "Run!"

"Nii-san-"

"RUN!" She screamed. "He's too dangerous for you three right now! Hurry! Tell Sarutobi-sama!"

"Don't worry about it, Noriko. They won't have the chance to run." Kisame grinned, then leaped over her head towards the three Genin.

She sprang into the air, slamming him in the stomach. "Run! NOW!"

Sasuke, always the leader, obeyed, and the other two followed. All three were casting backwards glances and not running at full speed.

"Look straight ahead and go, as fast as you can! I don't know how long I can hold him!" Screamed Nori as she sprang away from Kisame. "GO!"

They bolted.

"Damn it, this is such a drag. I have to do this whole thing alone, thanks to you, you little bitch. You just _had_ to kill my partner, didn't you?" He sighed. "Oh well. Your bloodline ability makes up for it, I guess. You know we're still after you, right?"

She grimaced. "I do now."

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, though. We've got to get the fox boy first. _Then_ we can come after you."

"You'll get him over my cold, lifeless corpse!" She spat.

"Well, that's refreshingly different from 'over my dead body'." He grinned a shark-smile at her. "I think I can handle that, though."

'I've got to distract him for about four minutes now. I can't kill him yet, though...I'm not strong enough for him. Itachi was easy to fight because I knew his tricks. This guy's a mystery, though. I know _nothing_ about him, except that he looks like a fish and he's Michael Jackson-creepy.' She sighed mentally, then decided that the best course of action would be to bluff him out as well as she could. 'Thank god I'm a good actor.'

She grinned at him evilly. "You really think so?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I _know_ so."

"You really think you know the full extent of my strength, huh? What you saw when I fought Itachi...that was nowhere near my full strength." She lied through her teeth. "That was just a fraction of my full power. The only reason I didn't want to use it is because I didn't want the other Jounin to get hurt."

He smiled. "Nice try at bluffing, but I _invented_ the bluff. That was near, if not exactly, your full strength. You're going to die, kiddo."

She bristled. "Kiddo?!" She growled. "HELL no. That's what I call my little sister, definitely _not_ what you call me!"

He grinned. "Whatever you say, _Kiddo_."

She actually growled. Teeth clenched tightly, she tried to control the anger surging through her veins. She had fought hard to earn the title of Jounin, and here was a blue pervert with gills talking to her as though she were an Academy Student or a Genin. Oh, that just would _not_ work out.

She drew her bloodletters, weapons she had created herself. Four finger holes were the hand hold, and four sharp talon-shaped blades ran down a foot or two. The weapons glinted in the bright sunlight as Nori growled, "Bring it."

He grinned. "That's more like it."

Then he leapt towards her. Just then, however, she sheathed her bloodletters and bolted towards Konoha. She outmatched him in speed, and he knew it. So instead of chasing after her, he picked up a fist sized rock and threw it straight towards her. It caught her in the head and she slowed, her vision blurry and blood trickling down her neck. She ran on, however, knowing that salvation lied at home in Konoha, or at least as close as she could get to it. Not even half a mile from the gate, she sank to her knees, then dropped down to her side. She couldn't run any further.

She looked up at the blue sky and listened, hearing the running footsteps of some ninjas. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. Then, her vision was enfolded in darkness.

Well that was it. OH GOD I'M SO TIRED!

But...

I'm not going to bed. Fuck that man. I'm going to stay up all night...just for fun! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

BD333, out.


	4. A Week In One!

Here it is! Chapter four, I believe. I'm excited!

Day 1: Naruto

Noon

Right After Nori Was Found

"What do you mean, Nii-san is in a coma?!" Yelled Naruto angrily.

Sakura dropped to her knees, her eyes blank, and Sasuke leaned against the wall in  
shock. They were standing in front of an ICU, and Nori had just been taken out of it and up to a room. Naruto was demanding to know what had happened.

"She's in a coma. How long she'll be in it is up to her. I'm very sorry, but we're extremely busy right now. Your questions will have to wait."

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Screamed Naruto as the other med-nin went inside.

"Naruto-" started Sakura.

"I won't calm down! This is gay, Sakura!"

"Shut up, dumbass, this is a hospital." Sasuke said.

Naruto looked angrily at him and then ran out of the hospital, leaving behind a saddened Sakura and a Sasuke with a very tired expression on his face.

Naruto, on the other hand, was headed towards the training grounds. He beat the hell out of the training mats, forgetting in his anger to use kage bunshin to train. 'Damn it!' He thought angrily. 'Nori _can't_ be in a coma! This is total bullshit! The first person to ever _really_ understand what I feel like...she can't! This is fucking gay!'

Day Two: Sasuke

Late Night

Sasuke entered Nori's hospital room quietly. It was nighttime, and visiting hours were over, but it was simple for a ninja to slip into the unguarded hospital. He sat down silently beside Nori's bed.

"Nii-san." He whispered. "Tell me what to do. I'm so confused...you killed Itachi, but I'm nowhere near that strong, and I'll never know if I was strong enough to do it unless I'd manage to kill you. But I'd never want to kill you, so...agh, I don't know. I'm thinking about going to that Orochimaru guy. He bears a strong resemblance to Michael Jackson--and I don't mean just by behavior; they look alike, too--but he IS stronger than I am right now, and he could probably train me. I mean...if I didn't kill anybody, maybe the village would take me back. What do you think, nii-san?"

But Nori was deathly silent.

That was when Uchiha Sasuke made up his mind. As he slid back out of the window, he didn't notice Nori twitch her hand (the most movement she had made in two days) as if to call him back.

Day Three: Kakashi

Early Morning

"Well, Nori..." Kakashi eased himself into a chair. "Iruka's on a mission, and he asked me to come keep an eye on you, so here I am."

He sat back and looked at her still, silent form, so quiet, yet so beautiful. He studied the hair spread all over the pillow, the way her chest rose and fell with her quiet breathing, and he sighed. "God...you're gorgeous. Iruka's lucky he made his move so quickly...I was going to ask you on a date after Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke left, but I saw that you and Iruka were blushing, so I figured that I was too late. I guess I was right, huh? You're a married woman now. It's been a month or so since you killed Itachi, and everyone thinks you and Iruka rushed things a bit, but that's what being a ninja is about, isn't it? You never know if the next mission you accept will be your last, so you live your life to the fullest and with all of your heart." He sighed once more. "It's too bad Iruka got there first. You...you're not just another one-night stand. You would've been different." He thought for a second.

"Damn. I hope you don't remember this when you wake up."

Day Four: Sakura

Mid-Afternoon

"Nii-san!" Sakura cried, her tears speckling Nori's blanket. Sakura buried her head in her arms against her sister's arm. "Nii-san, Sarutobi-sama is dead, and Sasuke is gone! H-he left to Orochimaru! Nii-san, I tried to do what you told me to...I tried to keep him from Itachi's path, but...I failed! I tried so hard, Nori, but I still wasn't good enough! Why can't I be like you?! You're so good at everything...why?! WHY?!"

Nori's arm twitched slightly, and Sakura saw that her fingers were twitching even worse. Slowly and uncertainly, she put her hand in Nori's, and the twitching fingers closed around it. Sakura burst into tears again. "Nii-san...that's it! I _will_ become a medical ninja! No matter what! If I can't help with strength...I'll help by healing! I'm not going to be a burden any more!"

Sakura was never completely sure, but she thought that she saw a small smile twitch onto Nori's face.

Day Five: Iruka  
Mid-morning

"Nori! Ah, finally!" He exclaimed, skidding into her room. "I just got back from my mission. I didn't even go home to shower!" He sniffed the air. "...Although maybe I should have...whatever. Anyway, the point is, I'm back. I'm so sorry I had to leave you, but my team needed me. I don't know if you can hear me or not, but...I'm going to talk to you anyway. Nori...honey, you need to come back to us. We all miss you so much...me most of all. Sasuke's gone, Nori, and Sarutobi-sama is dead. Tsunade-sama is the fifth Hokage. She'll be a great leader...but none of that matters to me as much as your condition. I _miss _you, Haruno Noriko. Actually..." Here, he smiled.

"I mean...Umino Noriko."

Day Six: Nori

All Day

'Ah...what the hell is this? Why can't I move or open my eyes? Oh, god...' The memories of what she had heard the past few days swept over her. 'Oh...oh god...Sasuke...Sarutobi-sama...this is unbelievable. Sakura and Iruka need me, and Kakashi...well...oh dear, this will be troublesome.' She shook her head. 'Never mind. He was so casual when he was saying all of that...it seems like he's over it by now. Whatever. That's not the important thing. Naruto, Sakura, Iruka, and Kakashi are probably in pain about my condition, and Sasuke...well...'

She remembered a day a little while after she had killed Itachi, when Sasuke had finally told her what had been bothering him.

_"Well, Nii-san...it's just...I mean...you killed him so easily! And I...I couldn't even hold my own against him. Now I'll never have the change to revenge our clan, or to prove to myself that I'm stronger than he thinks I am!"_

_"Sasuke...listen. You're not weak. Itachi was wrong. You see, Sasuke...when Itachi was your age...yes, he was physically stronger than you are right now, but than can change. When Itachi was your age, I was his only friend. You've got so many more friends than he ever did. He had no one to look up to. You've got Kakashi and Iruka. Itachi's mental health, too...yours is much stronger, Sasuke. Your will is stronger than his was, and so is your emotional health." She saw that Sasuke still looked unconvinced. Then, she smiled and took off her necklace. "See this?" She held it up so it sparkled in the light. It was a circle about the size of a half-dollar. In the middle was the kanji that meant 'aspire'. Small green stones called peridots surrounded the raised kanji._

_Sasuke nodded, puzzled._

_"This was given to me by my mother when I passed the Jounin exam. She was so proud of me...and do you know what she said?"_

_He shook his head._

_"She said, 'Nori, honey, I'm so proud of you. This necklace is for you. I want you to be the best you can be, and more than anything, I want you to know how proud I am already.' Then, she gave me the necklace." She dropped the chain around Sasuke's neck. "It's yours now, kid."_

_He looked down at her necklace, then up at her. "What? Why are you giving this to me?"_

_"Someone close to me gave this to me because she was proud of me, and because she wanted me to know that I'm strong. I'm giving this to you because I'm proud of you, and so you'll know that you are strong."_

_He looked up at her with glassy eyes. "Nii-san..."_

_She smiled and rested a hand on his head. "Come on, kid. Let's head to the training fields. I bet Naruto and Sakura are wondering where you are."_

_She began to walk away. Sasuke stood for a second. Then, he tucked the necklace into his shirt and ran after her._

Iruka looked up to see a single small tear rolling down Nori's face. He got to his feet, bent over her, and kissed the tear away softly off of his bride's cheek with his mouth. "Nori..." He whispered softly. "It's okay, darling. I'm here."

'Iruka...' Nori wanted to cry even more now. 'I'm a prisoner in my own body. This is the most fucking retarded thing ever! I've got to heal myself!"

She set to work, circulating her healing chakra throughout her body. She didn't know the problem exactly, and she didn't know how to fix the problem since she didn't know what it was, but she figured if she sent chakra to all areas of her body, it should work.

'Please work...'

About an hour later, she passed out. Iruka didn't notice anything, though, because she had already seemed unconscious.

Day Seven: Nori

Early Morning

"Nori." Iruka said her name from over at the window, looking out at the sky and not really expecting an answer. "How are you doing this morning?"

"I'm fine, thanks. You?"

He jumped a mile, and she laughed good-naturedly at him. He ran to her side. "Nori!"

She smiled. "Morning."

He leaned down over her and hugged her tightly. She slid her arms around his back and hugged him back just as tightly, loving the feeling of her husband's arms around her. Before she could fully enjoy the hug, however, he pulled back. "Nori, you're awake! This...this is amazing! I don't believe it!"

Ecstatic, he leaned down again and pressed his lips against hers tenderly. She smiled as they kissed. 'I like this better than a hug anyway.'

He pulled back after a second. "What...how...what...Nori, what-?"

She interrupted him by laughing. "I woke up yesterday; I just couldn't move my body at all. I didn't know what was wrong, so I did a full body circulation heal, and it fixed it, but I used up too much chakra and passed out." She stood and was pleasantly surprised to see that she was still in her clothes. "Hey, that's great! Let's go home."

"Nori, hey! Nori! You can't--well, I guess you can." Iruka shrugged and jumped out of the window after Nori.

"Hey!"

Far off down the road, she finally paused. He grinned.

"Wait up!"

There goes chapter four! WOOOOOO! It makes me a little sad though...it's bringing me closer to the part of the story you guys will kill me for --;;

BD333, out.


	5. The Suffering

It's been a while since I updated, because I am a lazy fuck! No excuses for it. Well, I've been sick for a while too, but I'm mostly just lazy :D So, you know what that means!

RECAP!!!!!

Nori and Iruka are married. Kisame is after Nori and Naruto, and Kakashi still has a thing for Nori, who just woke up from a week-long coma. Sasuke's left the village, and Sarutobi has died and been replaced by Tsunade. Nori and Iruka have just left the hospital.

HERE'S THE FIFTH CHAPTER!!!! WOOOOOOO!

Nori opened the door to her parents' house and went inside slowly. She walked up the stairs to the doorway of Sakura's room. She paused in the doorway, empathetic pain plainly showing in her eyes. She looked down at the small fledgling kunoichi sobbing on her bed and felt a piece of her heart grow cold. Slowly and with all the skills she possessed, she entered the room and sat down on the bed. Sakura looked up in surprise, and, when she saw Nori, she sat up, threw her arms around her sister, and cried into her shoulder.

Nori held Sakura to her chest silently, stroking the short hair tenderly. She hugged Sakura tightly, then whispered softly, "Sakura...it's going to be okay. I promise you this. Someday, no matter how bleak or dark things seem now...someday, everything will be alright."

Sakura looked up at Nori, wide-eyed. Although she was now a ninja, she was still young enough and innocent enough to be shaped by her older sister's words. "Do you really mean that, Nori? Is that true?"

Umino Noriko looked out her little sister's window at the clouds high in the sky. She thought for a minute about everything that had happened over the course of her rather short lifetime. Her best friend had killed his entire family, traumatized his little brother, emotionally wounded her for a long time, tried to rape her, and had kidnapped her sister. She remembered killing him, and remembered his blood dripping down her, a feeling that would stay with her until she died and maybe even afterwards. Tears trembled in her eyes as she experienced, once again, the warm memories of their childhood together. The tears overflowed as she thought of losing Sasuke to that bastard, Orochimaru.

Then, she thought of the little sister she held in her arms. She thought of Naruto, who had been through so much but always stayed cheerful. And then, she thought of Iruka. She smiled slowly down at Sakura, the tears drying up as she remembered all of the people and things that made her young life worthwhile.

"It's true, kiddo. Someday, everything will get better."

Sakura watched her big sister as she thought, curious about her thoughts. When Nori smiled at her, she smiled back in spite of her sadness. "Really, nii-san?"

"Of course, Sakura. Would I lie to you?"

Sakura smiled back. "No."

Nori grinned down and released her sister. "That's right. Now...where are mom and dad?"

"They left about a half an hour ago to go visit you in the hospital." Sakura gasped at sudden realization. "Nori! You're out of your coma!"

She smiled. "You bet, kiddo."

"But...but...how? I mean, you've only been in it for a week, and by all rights you should _still_ be in it! I mean not that I want that, but the calculations-"

"Forget the calculations, kiddo; I'm a ninja. It's different for us. I heard you guys talking to me, and I woke up six days later, but I couldn't move at all. I didn't know what was wrong, so I just sent healing chakra to my entire body. It worked. And now, here I am!"

"I'm glad, Nori nii-san!" Sakura exclaimed, hugging Nori tightly. Then, she remembered something. "Nii-san! Can you try to talk some sense into Naruto? He's at the training grounds, working as hard as he can to get stronger. Please, Nori!"

She smiled and put a hand on Sakura's head. "Don't worry, kid. I'll knock some sense into that boy."

Sakura grinned. "I know you will."

A little while later found Nori standing at the entrance to the training grounds, watching Naruto visciously attack a training mat. As he attacked, he screamed. "What the hell is this?! Why does bad stuff always happen to everybody I know?! WHY?! Why can't everything just be peaceful?! Why does everyone have to get hurt?! WHY DO WE ALL HAVE TO SUFFER SO GOD DAMN MUCH?!"

Nori approached him, and as she spoke, he whipped around to face her. "Because, Naruto. It's the suffering that makes us strong. When we overcome our difficulties to battle to the best of our abilities..._that_ is when we become true shinobis. Not when we become Genin, or Chuunin, or even Jounin. When we learn to handle the bad stuff..._manipulate_ it, even, to our advantages..._that_ is when we fully become shinobi of the Hidden Leaf Village. Then...and only then."

Naruto swallowed. "I...nii-san..."

She waited for a minute. Then, when it was clear that he couldn't find the words he needed to express himself, she smiled. "Let's go get some ramen."

"YEAH!"

kAkAsHi

He walked over slowly to the restaurant where he was treating Anko, and he sighed, knowing that the loud-mouthed woman wouldn't bother with politeness and would order whatsoever she damn well pleased. 'Well...there go the profits from that mission...'

Anko greeted him with a kiss on the mouth. "Hey, Kakashi! Good to see you!"

He smiled. "Same here."

As he sat down across from her, though, he found himself wistfully thinking that he would rather be sitting across from a sweeter, gentler, lighter-haired, and deeper-eyed kunoichi. 'Damn it, you idiot. Nori is married. Nothing will change that. Nothing. Give up. Anko is...well...she's more...Nori's less...Anko...well, she's a woman too.'

As Anko dug in, he sighed mentally. 'Damn...Nori and Iruka go to Ichiraku all the time. I wish I could take Anko there without her thinking I'm cheap. Well...Nori suggests it, from what Iruka tells me. Damn it...why can't Anko be her?' He realized what he had thought. 'I mean be _like_ her, of course. Nori. Is. Married. You have no chance. She's not the type that would cheat on Iruka, or anybody, for that matter. Why the hell can't I get over this?!'

Later on, when he and Anko were done with dinner, they headed back to Kakashi's for some ahem after-dinner entertainment. The whole time, though, Kakashi was still thinking of Nori.

That's the fifth chapter! WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO! I'm so excited! Review it PLEASSSSSE! If I get lots of reviews I'll update faster :D

BlackDragon333, out.


	6. Defending Konoha's Jinchuuriki!

Ok you guys, here's chapter six! I'm super excited right now! WOOOOO!

Nori and Naruto were sitting in Ichiraku, draining the last of their ramen. Naruto had just finished a third bowl, and Nori smiled regretfully as she emptied her wallet. She didn't really mind as much as she pretended to, though. She knew she would make it back, with interest, on the next mission she went on.

"Nii-san! If I get Sakura and Sasuke, can we go on another mission until Kakashi-sensei gets back?"

"Kakashi's gone again?"

"Yeah. Can we?!"

She smiled. "Alright, alright. Yeah. I'll go."

"Yes!!!!"

"Come on." Nori laughed and went to leave Ichiraku.

Not watching where she was going, she pulled back the flap to walk out and walked straight into Kakashi's chest. He, being a ninja, had caught her as an automatic reaction, and it was now almost as though he was holding her to his chest.

"Sorry, Kakashi." Nori said, blushing slightly.

He just smiled. Remembering himself after a slight delay, he released her. "It's alright." He was thankful that he had his mask and she couldn't see his blush. He, on the other hand, had no problem seeing hers. 'Damn it...this sucks. Fuck...I can't believe I slipped up like that! And...why is she blushing? Does...does she have a thing for me? No...I can't do that to Iruka...'

Her heart was racing, and she was appalled at herself. 'You _fucking_ whore! You just married the man of your dreams, and Kakashi _touches _you and you like it! What the hell is wrong with you?! Iruka's your man, not Kakashi!'

Then, stopping her mental attack on herself, she looked down at Naruto. "Hey...I thought you said he wasn't here?"

"He wasn't!"

"I just got back." Kakashi explained. "It was quite a mission. Too bad I can't tell details."

Naruto screamed in frustration. "You always do that, Kakashi-sensei! I _hate_ that!"

He smiled through the mask. "Sorry."

"Will you take us on a mission, then?!" He exclaimed, excited again.

Kakashi sighed, slumping a little. To Nori, he suddenly looked tired and exhausted. He began to speak. "I just got back from a mission, Naruto, and I'm very tired..."

Naruto's face fell. Nori saw this, and she saw that Kakashi was beginning to waver, unsure if he should still refuse or not. She knew that he was exhausted, so she smiled down at Naruto.

"Well, kid, let your sensei get some rest. I'll go on your mission with you."

"Really?! Yes!" He exclaimed. "I'll go find Sakura and Sasuke!"

He ran off, bursting with energy, leaving Kakashi and Nori by themselves. Kakashi put a hand awkwardly on the back of his neck. "Thanks, Nori. You didn't have to do that."

She just smiled. "It's alright, Kakashi. He can get overexcited sometimes, but I love that kid like a brother."

He smiled and started to say something, but, at the same time and with the same urgent expressions on their faces, he and Nori turned and yelled, "Naruto!"

Naruto, halfway down the street, turned. "What?"

They both opened their mouths, but the word that was spoken next didn't come from either of them.

"Surprise!"

Kakashi and Nori took off towards Naruto at top speed. Kakashi grabbed him and jumped back, while Nori brought out a bloodletter and put it up to defend against Kisame's chakra-shaving sword. She instantly compacted her chakra so it was held up against her skin, expecting a fight to ensue.

"Run, Naruto!" Kakashi ordered.

"What?! No! Nii-san is-!"

"I'll stay with her! You just get out of here!"

"No, Kakashi." Nori spoke up. "You go too."

That time, both Kakashi and Naruto spoke. "What?!"

"You guys heard me. Go! It's me and Naruto he's after, Kakashi, not you! So take Naruto and go! That way, he can't get both of us at once. Anyway, if something happens here, Naruto would need someone to protect him. He's strong, I know, but he can't handle Kisame yet! Besides that, don't worry. I'm a Jounin...I can take care of myself."

"Nori-" Began Kakashi.

Her eyes flashed. Her next word was spoken with undercurrents of power and command running through it.

"Go."

He went.

There it is! I LOOOOOOOOOOVE LIFE! I'm in a fantabulous mood right now. :D

BD333, out! YAY LIFE!


	7. Hardening Hearts

Ok guys I'm trying to see if this font will work. But Anyway...this is a supercool chapter uploaded today especially for itachi349! HERE IT IS!!!!

"So...you can take care of yourself, huh? We'll just have to see if that's true, now won't we?" Grinned Kisame rather intimidatingly.

"Or...we could _not_, and say we did."

"I don't think so."

She sighed. "Damn. Worth a shot." Then, she shrugged. "Well, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get."

He grinned. "Now that's more like it."

She grimaced. "Shut up, pervert."

He just smiled. "Whatever you say."

He leapt to the right, and she jumped back to the left. She was fully aware of the buildings around them, so she turned and sprang away, only at half-speed, which Kisame was fully capable of keeping up with. He fell straight into her trap and sprang after her. She led him out of the highly populated area of Konoha into the forested area. He sprang at her, deciding to give up on this game of cat-and-mouse, but she was having none of that. She jumped up to the branch of a tree, only to see Kisame poof away below her.

'Fuck! A clone!' She thought in distress, just as she felt Kisame grab her from behind. She frowned. 'Motherfucker!'

He grinned. "Well. I've got you now, with less of a fight than I thought would happen. That's a pleasant surprise, kiddo." He gave a shark-smile as he felt her anger. "Oh, that's right...you don't like that too much, do you?"

She growled in response. Then, anger and the desire to escape clouding her judgement, she sank her teeth into his hand, drawing blood. As he pulled his hand back, she viciously ripped into his flesh with her teeth, then sprang away and spat out his blood. "Eww! You taste like AIDS!"

"You fucking bitch!" He growled, holding his bleeding hand. "You god damn whore! Agh, fuck! Motherfucking slut! Agh!"

"That's what you get for letting your guard down, dumb fuck." She said, feeling very cocky. "Shoulda known better."

He looked up at her, and anger burned in his eyes. All earlier amusement was gone, replaced with rage and, oddly, lust. Nori took all this in, then frowned. '...fuck.'

He sprang at her with his sword at the ready, and she drew her bloodletters quickly, deflecting his sword. At this close range, he suddenly grinned again. "It sure would be a shame if something happened to your two little Genin..."

"Fuck off! You keep them out of this! " She replied, swiping a bloodletter towards his face.

He jumped back and continued on with his taunts, swinging his sword in her direction. "It'd be too bad if something happened to your husband, too...you know, that one you killed Itachi for?"

She blocked his sword swing and swung the bloodletters in an arc, swiping down in an unexpected arc to slash his chest open. "I said, let them the fuck alone!"

He leaped back, holding his chest, yet not willing to give up. "Then again, there's always Sharingan Kakashi. I could kill him, too..."

She growled without speaking, and her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Well...that'd be too much work. Maybe I'll just go find Sasuke and kill him instead."

Before he knew it, her blades had slashed open his leg, his arm, and across his chest again, but in the opposite direction. Now he had four intersecting lines on his chest, dripping crimson blood to puddle at his feet.

He let out a cry of pain and jumped back from Nori quickly, who, breathing hard in anger, growled and followed. He fled the village. She knew she was faster, but she only followed him a few minutes' time out of the village before she turned and headed back. Konoha was her territory, and she wasn't about to follow him out of her turf and into his, unfamiliar territory where she could get caught in any trap.

She was sitting slumped against the outer wall when Kakashi found her. He put a hand on her shoulder gently, and she turned her tear-streaked face to meet his eye.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his eye shimmering with concern. "You're not hurt, are you?"

She shook her head. "He just...I mean, I know it's stupid, but...he said he was going to kill Naruto, Sakura, Iruka, you, and Sasuke. I just...I mean, I was worried..."

She sensed his smile through the mask. "Nori, I can hold my own in a fight against Kisame. As for the other four...Iruka, Naruto, and Sakura have you and I to protect them. Sasuke...well, he's...he..."

She looked up at him with a hard expression in her eyes. "Sasuke has me, too. If I could find him...if I could just find him..." She trailed off with a wistful expression. Then, it hardened, and she spoke through gritted teeth. "Well, I'll tell you one thing. If I _ever_ find that Michael Jackson impersonator, he's fucking dead. I've always tended to kill snakes on sight...that bastard's no different."

Kakashi smiled. "No, I guess he's not."

She looked up at him sharply. "Well, Kakashi, this is what I don't understand. Sasuke was your student, not mine, and I'm more upset about losing him than you are. What gives?"

He sighed, and suddenly looked very tired. "Nori...when you lose people as often as I do, it affects you in different ways. It hardens your soul. Eventually, you learn to hide your emotions, until no one can tell what you're thinking or just how you feel."

"That's...so sad..." She looked up into his face, searching for a hint of emotion. Her eyes flashed with understanding. "But...it didn't work. Now that I look closely...you're sad. You miss him. But, above all, you're worried. Not just for Sasuke..."

"...but for what could happen to the village if Orochimaru puts himself in as strong of a body as Sasuke has." Concluded Kakashi. He looked scrutinizingly at her. "How did you know that?"

"If you look long enough, you're bound to see something." She shrugged, then stood up. She looked at his face for a second, then smiled and patted his cheek. "You're not as emotionless as you think."

She stood and began to walk away, off to find Naruto and take him on his mission. After all, she had promised him.

Kakashi watched her go. At first, his gaze was fastened on her back, but his eyes slid lower. 'Hmm...not bad...'

Just then, however, Anko walked over. She turned to see what he was looking at, and when she saw, she bitch-slapped him.

"Ow!" He whined.

"Well keep your eyes in your head! You're drooling!"

She and Kakashi walked off, her scolding and he sliding sheepishly along. Kakashi, though, sighed.

'Anko is supposed to keep me from thinking of Nori. Instead, though...I just end up thinking how different things would be if it was her beside me instead.'

I don't feel like clicking the buttons to change the font that won't work anyway, I'm sure, so don't mind me lol I'm REAL tired and sick :(

Anyway. There ya go! Chapter seven, over!

BD333, out!


	8. Embarking on That Fateful Mission

Omg we're headed towards a part that I absolutely hate myself for writing! You guys will understand later, but...AGH I HATE ME!

"Nori! There you are!" Shouted Iruka, running to his wife and sweeping her up into his arms. "My god, are you alright?"

She smiled at him affectionately, thinking only of him, those deep brown eyes, and that scar that she found so attractive. "Of course I'm alright." She smiled, softly tracing his scar with her finger and making him blush. "You didn't think a little guppy like Kisame could hurt me, did you?"

He sighed and buried his face in her hair, trying not to shake with relief. "Not really, honey, but all I knew was that Kisame had entered the village to attack you and Naruto. All I could think about was what I would do if you were hurt or killed...and I couldn't think of anything."

"Iruka..." she said softly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from his eyes, then leaving her hand on his face and kissing his lips gently. "Listen, honey, it's going to be okay. I'm not going to get killed any time soon, I promise."

He looked tenderly down at her, his worry and fear showing intensely. His eyes told her that he wouldn't be placated that easily. "How do you know that, Nori? We're Hidden Leaf ninja. We never know when an enemy will attack, or when we'll be killed. It could happen at any time, on any mission, even a simple D-rank that goes wrong."

She stopped him by laying a fingertip against his forehead. "Always the scholar, aren't you, Iruka? Instead of thinking with this-" She tapped his forehead. "-why don't you try thinking with this?" She poked his chest above his heart.

He looked at her in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, bookworm," She teased affectionately. "That you should stop thinking only of the facts and figures. That's not all it's about, Umino Iruka. Look at the Jounin of the village. Gai, Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, me...and all of the others. None of us ever leave the village thinking that it's highly improbable that we're coming back. When we leave the village, we think only of serving our country and protecting our comrades in the event of a battle. In our hearts, we believe that we're coming back. Something in there tells us that it's true. Being a spectacular ninja is _not_ about preparing yourself for the worst. It's about believing in yourself, and expecting the best."

He studied her thoughtfully for a few seconds. Then, as she was beginning to feel awkward, he smiled. "And you _are_ a spectacular ninja. You're right, honey. There's no way any outlaw, even Kisame, could kill you."

She smiled up at him and kissed his lips sweetly and tenderly, her body language telling them both that she was filled with love for the man who stood before her, receiving her kiss happily and now without worry. Then, she pulled back. "Come on. Let's go eat lunch. We still have a mission to do, remember?"

He smiled and slid his hand around hers, spreading his fingers through hers gently. "I've been looking forward to it all week."

Iruka and Nori were leaving the village on a C-rank mission. Iruka had wanted to go on a mission for a while, but the other Chuunin were mostly swamped with work at the academy or preparing for the Jounin exams. Nori volunteered to go with him. Since she was an especially gifted Jounin with skills equal to that of seven average Jounin, she was able to go as the rest of his team. When she thought about the mission later, though, she wished that she hadn't been able to go.

There it is...and the next chapter is the one I despise myself for writing :( Damn life.

BD333, out.


	9. Losing That Which We Hold Dear

Chapter nine, you guys...here it is. DONT KILL ME!!!!

"What a perfect day for a mission!" Nori thought out loud.

Iruka slid his hand through hers and smiled as they left the village gates and entered the forest. "Yeah...it's really nice out today."

The sun was shining down on them, warm but not hot, and birds were singing all around. Rabbits and other small animals scampered around in the undergrowth, and monkeys jumped from tree to tree, calling happily to each other. Nori's sensitive nose picked up the scent of flowers all around, creating a friendly atmosphere all around them. Happily, she smiled up at Iruka.

He laughed down at her. "What is it?"

She just grinned. "Nothing. I'm just so glad I have you..."

"I'm glad I have you too, Nori."

"Well...you won't have her for long."

Nori's eyes widened, and she pushed Iruka out of the way, ducking out of the way herself, although somewhat slower than normal. She let out a cry of pain as Kisame's sword flashed past her, shaving some skin off of her arm.

"Nori!" Exclaimed Iruka.

"Iruka, run! Go back to the village!" Exclaimed Nori, back on her feet in a flash.

Iruka was back up as well. "No way! If you stay and fight, so will I!"

"Umino Iruka, don't you dare make me pull rank on you! Go home, now! Get help, or neither of us will survive this one!"

"Nori-!"

"Iruka, go!"

'This is it. The moment of truth.' He swallowed. "I won't leave you."

"Iruka, whatever crazy ideas of masculine pride you have in your head, get rid of them, now! A fight with an S-rank outlaw is NOT a good time to do that! Please, Iruka, go and get help!"

He swallowed but stood his ground. "No. We can take him."

"Iruka!" She screamed. "No we can't!"

"You should listen to your wife, boy." Kisame growled. Then, he plunged a kunai through Iruka's back into his lung.

"Iruka!" Screamed Nori as Iruka fell to his knees, coughing out blood. She turned green eyes blazing with hatred on Kisame. He knew that he'd die if he tried to face her and the strength of that anger, so he fled, planning to come back later when the loss had taken full effect.

All anger gone, Nori sank to her knees beside Iruka, who was still coughing blood. "Iruka, hold on, honey! You're going to be okay, I promise!"

He just smiled, blood trickling out of his mouth. "Nori...I love you..."

"I love you too, honey, but you're not dying! I won't let you!" She exclaimed, pressing her hands to his chest, sending her chakra through him.

He coughed up more blood anyway, spattering the ground with it. "Nori...I want you to promise me something."

"What is it, Iruka?" She said in a choked voice as she ran her chakra through him even faster. 'Please...'

He felt her tears running down her arms and onto his chest, and he smiled weakly, knowing that they were stinging the wound left from Kisame's sword, but she was trying so hard to save him that she didn't even realize it. "Don't be all alone...when I die, find someone else to love. Please, Nori...you're too young to be a widow."

"Iruka..." Her tears increased until it was hard for her to see what she was doing. "Iruka, if you were going to die, I would promise you that. But you're not going to die. I won't let you."

His smile wavered as he coughed out even more blood. "Humor me?"

She was sobbing now as she answered, "I...I promise, Iruka..."

"Now...tell me you love me?"

Her tears were falling thick and fast as he uttered those words, but she managed to gasp, "I love you, Umino Iruka."

He smiled. "Good. I love you too, Umino Nori."

Just then, he had another coughing spasm, and when he was done, his eyes glazed over slowly as his soul left the land of the living. "Nori...goodbye..."

"Iruka!" Yelled Nori. "Get back here! You're not leaving me!"

Her tears spattered his chest as she poured healing chakra into him, now trying to fix his lungs and keep his heart beating at the same time. Finally, she was out of chakra, but she wasn't giving up on him so easily. "Iruka...I'm not giving you up! You were the best thing that ever happened to me! I _can't_ lose you!" she wailed, now using her life force.

When nearly half of her life force was gone, she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness. "No..." She mumbled. "I can't...Iruka...I can't give up on him...he..."

At that point, with nearly eighty percent of her life force gone, she slid into unconsciousness, darkness falling like a curtain over her mind.

"Iruka...I'm sorry, honey, so sorry...I tried, darling...but I wasn't good enough."

Then, she slid into darkness.

Well you guys...that's it. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!! I MISS IRUKA JUST AS MUCH AS YOU GUYS DO, BUT I HAD TO DO IT!!!!

BD333, out.


	10. Losing Her Life, Her Love, Her Husband

Ok you guys, I'm REALLY sorry about that last chapter. I loved Iruka to death, but as you'll see later, it was sort of kinder to get rid of him the way I did.

RIP Iruka I LOVE YOU!

When Nori woke, she realized that she was moving. She lifted her head and saw that a certain silver-haired ninja was carrying her on his back towards Konoha.

"Kakashi?" She murmured softly. "What's going on?...where's Iruka...?"

He turned his head, and she saw that his eye was filled with sadness. She laid her forehead against his back, and the tears began to fall. "He's...he's dead, isn't he?"

"Nori..." He sighed. "Yes. I'm sorry."

She didn't reply. Instead, slowly and feeling oddly numb, she raised a hand to her throat and activated her chakra. 'I...I'm supposed to be the best medical ninja since Tsunade, and one of the strongest Jounin in the village. I'm supposed to protect the village and everyone in it, especially those who are important to me. But instead...I let an outlaw kill my husband, and I couldn't save him. I'm...I've failed at both of my jobs. No...all three. I failed as a Jounin, I failed as a medical ninja, and...I failed as a wife.'

When she removed her hand, her marriage mark was gone, and tears were falling, thick and fast. She remembered the wound on her arm from Kisame's sword and thought about healing it, but she refrained. 'Let this mark stand as a reminder of my weakness. As long as Kisame is alive, I will wear that scar as a memory of what I couldn't do. Until the day that Kisame is dead...that scar will remain.'

Then, she sank down into darkness against Kakashi's back.

He felt her shaking in her sleep, terrified and numb from loss, as her tears soaked his back. He let out all the air in his lungs in a giant sigh that captured his sadness at the loss of his friend and the pain of the kunoichi he harbored a soft spot for. Then, he continued jumping back towards Konoha.

When Nori woke up, she was laying on her back staring up at a white ceiling. She could smell disinfectant and knew that she was in the hospital again, for the third time in a year. She turned her head to the side quietly and saw Kakashi sitting there. He smiled at her, and she was reminded of when she had first agreed to go on a date with Iruka, bringing fresh tears to her eyes. She sat up and tried to hide them, but Kakashi saw right through that. Nori couldn't hold it in any longer, and she burst out sobbing.

Kakashi left the chair he was sitting in and sat down beside her, his hip touching hers. He put his hand on her back comfortingly, and tingles ran down her spine. Her eyes widened even as she cried.

'What the hell _is_ this? You motherfucking whore! I don't believe myself! This...I'm a horrible person! My husband just _died_, and I _like it_ when his best friend touches me?! What the hell?! I'm a fucking slut!'

Kakashi was thinking as well as he kept his hand on her back, knowing that the best thing he could do for her was to be strong for her. 'I feel so weird...I've _never_ felt like this before in my life! All of the girls I've ever dated...not one of them has ever made me feel this way before, and god knows there have been enough of them. Agh...forget about it. She's not even going to look at another guy for a year at minimum, let alone _date_ one. I'm being insensitive just to think like that.'

Meanwhile, the tingle in Nori's back had faded down to nothing, and she was crying harder than ever. Kakashi could feel the sobs shaking her body, and he turned her towards him and held her against his chest comfortingly.

She instinctively buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed, holding tightly to his shirt as she cried out her pain. He held her tightly to him and stroked her hair comfortingly, knowing that it would help her to be in someone's arms again, even if it wasn't Iruka.

"Kakashi..." She mumbled so softly that he didn't hear her at first. "Kakashi...?"

"What is it, Nori?" He asked her gently, leaning down so he could hear her.

"I...I failed him, Kakashi..." She said softly through her tears. "I tried my hardest...but it wasn't good enough for him."

He rested his chin on her head. "No, Nori, no...that's not true. It's not that you weren't good enough...he was too good for this world, that's all."

"What...what do you mean?" She asked, the tears clearing out of her eyes. She looked up at him with hope shining in her eyes.

He shivered on the inside. No one had ever looked at him that way before, so full of hope, as though he could control her happiness by his response.

'I can't crush that hope.' He thought. 'The way she looks at me...'

He chose his words carefully, knowing that what he said now would affect her for years to come. "I guess you wouldn't know this, but...Iruka could be a Jounin right now if he really wanted to. He stayed as a Chuunin and an Academy teacher. He didn't _want_ to go any higher than that. He wanted to stay to teach the children. Besides that...he didn't want to kill. When you reach Jounin level, you're mostly doing assassination missions and missions with high death rates. You know that, Nori. Iruka hated killing...he was too kind to stay in this world of death and destruction. Kami-sama probably took him early because he couldn't wait for Iruka to die of old age."

Nori looked up at Kakashi with tears swimming in her eyes. "Then...why didn't he take me too?"

Kakashi's eyes widened at that, and Nori pressed her head into his shoulder softly. Kakashi was speechless. He had no idea what to say to her, but he knew that he had to try. "Nori...listen to me. Are you listening?"

She nodded.

"Iruka was too good for this world, and so are you. But you're here for a reason. I can't tell you what it is, because I don't know myself. But you've been put on this earth for a reason, and until that mission is fullfilled, Kami-sama won't take you. You're the kind that is put in this world to improve it. That's why he didn't take you, Nori."

She sighed, but she managed to stop crying. This time, when she hugged Kakashi, she was tear-free. "Thank you, Kakashi. You've been a big help."

It was on the tip of his tongue to say that he always would be, but he knew that she wouldn't want to hear that so soon after the death of her husband. He knew that the best course of action would be to get close to her and bide his time.

He smiled. "It's no problem."

The question was...how long would he be able to hold back?

Well, there's chapter ten I believe. REVIEW ME OMG PLEASE!!!! I'm trying to see if I can get more reviews per chapter for the sequel than I did for the original. THAT WOULD BE SWEET!

BD333, out!


	11. A Shell of What She Was

Aww you guys...this chapter's kinda sad :(

I hope she'll get better!

(Inner Dragon-chan: You're the author, stupid.)

Oh...yeah!

Nori was released from the hospital later that day. When she was released, she went straight back to her parents' house, unable to go to the house she shared with Iruka.

"Mom?"

"Oh, Nori! Honey, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine, Mom." Nori answered stoically, without a hint of emotion.

"Are...are you sure?" Asked Mrs. Haruno, looking at Nori oddly.

Nori cracked a painful smile, but it was enough to fool her mother. "I'm sure, mom. I'm a shinobi, remember? We're used to loss." Her voice cracked on the last syllable, but she turned it hastily into a cough. "After everything that happened with Itachi, I'm perfectly used to losing important people."

"Oh, of course, honey." Her mother smiled sadly. 'Such a sad existence...and to know that Sakura will end up that way as well...'

"Mom?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

"I asked you if I could move back in for a while."

"Oh, of course, honey! But what about the apartment you and Iruka rented?"

She stifled a sob, and when her mom looked at her oddly, she said, "Choked on my own spit."

Her mom laughed.

"Anyway...we only rented it for a month at a time. I can't keep up the cost on my own, so I wondered if maybe I could pay you guys a little rent to stay here?"

"Honey, you can stay for free. It'll be alright. We're just glad to have you back."

Her mother smiled at her happily, and Nori smiled back as convincingly as possible. "Well, Mom, I'm still a little tired from that fight, so I'm going to go up and lay down. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Sure, honey. I'll have Sakura bring dinner up if you're still sleeping."

"Thanks, Mom."

As Nori walked slowly up the stairs, the tears began to fall. She collapsed onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.

She was woken by a hesitant knock on the doorframe. "Nii-san? Mom sent up some food for you..."

She sat up and tried to smile. "Thank you, Sakura." She took the plate her sister was carrying and looked at it for a second. "But...I'm not very hungry. Will you eat it instead?"

"I guess so." Said Sakura, coming in and sitting down at Nori's desk to eat. "How...how are you feeling?"

"Tired, kiddo. Tired." Sighed Nori, flopping back down onto her bed.

"Are you...going to be okay?" Asked Sakura, feeling like she was pushing her limits.

"Yeah, Sakura, I'll be fine." She smiled. "So what's new with you?"

"I've decided to become a medical ninja."

"Oh?" Nori raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I mean...I'm not as strong as everybody else, and I'm always letting them down...but no more. I'm going to be useful!"

For the first time, Nori saw the light of determination in her sister's eyes, and she smiled. "Well, kiddo, you might make a fine ninja yet."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks, nii-san."

Nori's eyes darkened. "What about Naruto? How's he taking this?"

"Oh, he seems fine, actually. He's just training a lot more than usual."

Nori nodded. "Alright..."

"Sakura!" Called their mother up the stairs.

"I'd better go see what she wants." Sakura stood, taking the plate, and paused in the doorway. "Nii-san...are you sure you're alright?"

"Of course I'm sure, Sakura." She smiled.

"Okay." Smiled Sakura. As she turned away, though, she frowned. Although her sister had been smiling, there had been no happiness in her eyes.

In her eyes, there was nothing.

AWWWWW ITS SO SAD!!!! I really hope I make her get happy again!

(Inner Dragon-chan: --;; I'm a dumbass on the outside...)

BD333, out!


	12. The Breakdown

Oh, you guys :( I FEEL SO BAD FOR NORI!!!! I decided, therefore, that it's definitely time to let her have some fun. Here's the chapter!

Nori stayed in bed for a week or so, emerging only to get a shower each day and to take care of her body waste. The day after she had moved back in with her parents, she had tried to heal someone only to find that her medical powers didn't work any longer. After that, she had stayed in bed, worrying Sakura, who, unlike their parents, knew that Nori wasn't just tired, but was upset. Finally, she said something to Kakashi and Naruto.

"What do you mean, nii-san's not herself?" Asked Naruto, confused.

"She's...I don't know, she just...she isn't as happy about life as she used to be. Remember how we used to find her sitting on the roof at sunrise, calling out to the birds?"

Naruto nodded.

"Well, she sleeps straight through sunrise now. She doesn't even leave her room except to shower. I'm really worried about her...and, she can't heal like she used to be able to, either. I mean, she used to be as good as Tsunade, if not better. The neighbors brought over their little boy, who had broken his leg, and Nori could only heal it into a minor fracture. They had to take him to the hospital to have them set it in a cast."

Kakashi sighed. "Often, when a shinobi suffers a great loss, their abilities suffer with it. Sometimes nin and genjutsu suffer, but I suppose medical jutsu could suffer as well."

"I guess she still misses Iruka-sensei." said Naruto.

"Yeah...it's too bad she doesn't have somebody to distract her from remembering him." Sakura thought aloud.

She and Naruto looked at each other in surprise, then turned conspiring gazes on Kakashi, who put up his hands. "Oh, no. Oh no. I know what you're thinking, and there's _no way_ you're going to get me to-"

Naruto held up a signed copy of Come Come Paradise.

"Well...what would I have to do?"

Together, they formulated a plan.

That afternoon, Sakura herded Nori into the shower. "Go on, get cleaned up and wash your hair well. Come on. You're not getting out of it so easily."

"What are you planning, kiddo?" Asked Nori as she was shoved into the bathroom.

"Oh, nothing. You just get cleaned up."

Fifteen minutes later, Nori came out to find Sakura holding up a slinky, sparkly spring green dress. "Now put this on."

"Sakura, I didn't even shave!"

"Well you just get right back in there and shave."

Ten minutes after that, a shaved Nori came out with the dress on. "Now, what are you up to, Sakura?"

"Come on. I'm doing your hair."

Ten minutes after _that_, Nori looked in the mirror. Normally straight hair was replaced by loose waves of chocolate-brown hair that hung on her shoulders, framing her face. The dress set her eyes to a green color, most becoming to her tanned skin. Mid-thigh length showed off shapely legs. All in all, Sakura was proud of her choices.

"Now! You just wait a minute, and I'll-"

"Nori!" Called their mother. "There's a rather handsome gentleman asking for you!"

Nori raised an eyebrow. "Sakura-"

"I have no idea!" Sakura panicked and ran off.

Nori went down the stairs to see Kakashi standing in the kitchen in black dress pants with an ashy black dress shirt on top. The collar was unbuttoned and so was the first button, exposing his muscular chest a little, but not too much. The most shocking part, however, was that the mask was off and his headband was missing. He had deactivated the Sharingan, so both eyes were amazingly blue. Nori had always thought that he couldn't deactivate the Sharingan, but now she realized that just putting a headband over it wouldn't stop the chakra flow, which meant that he wore the headband to hide the scar.

"Kakashi?! What the-"

"You look really great too, Nori. Your mother was just telling me how glad she is that you're going out with me tonight, and I must say, I'm glad as well."

She smiled, glaring with her eyes. "Well, I bet my mom is as surprised as I am."

She knew that his comment was a tactful way to tell her that her mother would know something was wrong if she went upstairs and refused to go, and hers was a tactful way to tell him that she was pissed off. He just grinned, and she forgot her anger as she saw his whole face for the first time.

"Well, I...I guess we'd better go..." She said, stuttering slightly. "Bye, Mom."

Her mother kissed her cheek gently. "Have a good time, dear. Come in as late as you want to. I won't wait up." Then, she wagged her finger sternly. "But remember, you're only nineteen. You can't legally drink until you're twenty, so don't you dare come home drunk."

"Mother, I don't plan on drinking." She sighed.

"Alright then. You kids have fun!"

"We will. I'll have her home before three." Kakashi promised with a smile, putting his arm around Nori.

She shrugged him off and went around him to the door. "Bye, Mom." Then, she called up the stairs. "Bye, Sakura! We'll finish that discussion when I come home!"

Sakura gulped. "Bye nii-san!"

Kakashi followed Nori out into the street. When they were out of eyesight of the house, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into an alley, slamming him up against the wall, her hands on his chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Well...you see..."

She tapped her foot impatiently. "No, I don't see. That's why I'm asking."

"Naruto and Sakura are worried about you, Nori. They thought that if you found another guy to distract you from remembering, that you'd cheer up more quickly. So, they convinced me to take you out to find someone."

"Kakashi, I don't want to find someone to take Iruka's place!" Her eyes filled with tears as she said it.

"No, no, that's not it..." He said softly, embracing her as she removed a hand from his chest and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Not to replace him...just to keep you company while you face most of your grief."

She pretended not to notice the blush on his face, and he in turn pretended he didn't feel her heart pounding against his. She looked up into his eyes. "Kakashi...I...I never wanted this..."

He sensed that she'd be telling him something important, so he was very careful when he said, "Never wanted what...?"

"I...I never wanted my bloodline. Because I found it...Iruka is dead."

"What?" He said in surprise.

"If...if I had never found my bloodline, Akatsuki never would have pursued me. If Akatsuki had never wanted my bloodline, they never would have sent Kisame after me. And if Kisame had never been sent after me, Iruka wouldn't be...wouldn't be...wouldn't..."

Her words fell apart as her strength crumbled, and she began to sob. He pulled her to his chest and rested his chin on her head. "Noriko...never, _ever_ feel like it's your fault. It's not, Nori, I promise you that. Like I told you before...it was his time to go. One thing I'm sure he wouldn't want is you to be lonely."

"Well...before he died...he made me promise him that I'd find someone else to love, but I don't know, Kakashi...I don't know if I can..."

"I'm sure you can, Nori. You're very beautiful. You could have any man you'd choose."

"Thank you, Kakashi...but the only two men I've ever wanted to marry are both dead."

He raised rough hands to her face and wiped away her tears, surprisingly gentle. "Now look. Your eyeliner's running." He studied her for a second. "It's alright, though. You look much more beautiful without it."

That brought a smile to her face. "Thanks." she sniffled.

"Come on now." He said softly. "Let's go. I know of this club downtown that's got a pretty good reputation for being drug-free."

"Ok." She said, smiling a little. "Let's go, then."

Yeah lawl (lol) I changed my mind again and decided to wait till next chapter

BD333, out!


	13. Perverts One and Two

Here's the REAL thirteenth chapter...god i feel retarded . 

urgh

Kakashi and Nori entered the club quietly around seven. It was already filled with people, and the music was blaring.

"Wow, Kakashi! There are a _lot_ of people here!" Shouted Nori.

"I know!" He flashed a grin at her that made her knees weaken. "But it's the perfect place to find you a companion!"

"I guess so."

"What?!"

"I guess so!"

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "Damn, this music is loud!"

"That's probably because we're right in front of the speakers! Do you think we can head to the back?!"

"Sure, come on!" He took her by the hand and wove his way through the crowd until they were at the back. "Better?"

"Much." She sighed. "I'm young, but that music is way too loud."

He smiled. "I'll go get drinks."

"No alcohol for me, remember?" She smiled.

"I remember." He grinned at her. "Gotta listen to mother." Then, with a final grin, he disappeared into the crowd, weaving his way through them.

Instantly, she collapsed into a chair, her knees weak at how handsome he was. "I don't believe it. That man is...he's gorgeous. Why would he keep that hidden?"

Suddenly, she was aware of a presence behind her as a largish man walked up. "Hey there, cutie. You're way too hot to be sitting at a table all alone. Why don't you and I heat things up in here a little?"

"How about no." She said coldly, then decided to stretch the truth a little. "My date is getting drinks. You'd better get out of here before he gets back. He won't like it."

"That's not the point. I'm sure _you_ would."

"I'm still not interested. You've obviously used twice the recommended dose of steroids to make yourself seem tougher, when really you're just a small, insignificant little man who will never amount to anything."

"You've got a sharp tongue...but I like that in a woman." He pulled her to her feet, but she jerked back. "Come on, now."

She frowned. "You don't get it, do you. I'm. Not. Interested."

He stepped closer and grabbed her ass. Suddenly, he was flying through the air, landing hard on his back and sliding to a stop beside Kakashi, a good ten yards away, as Nori yelled, "You heard me, you crazy fuck! I'm not interested!"

Nori walked over to Kakashi, who wordlessly handed her a drink. She looked at it for a second. "Is this Coke or Pepsi?"

"Pepsi."

She dumped it on the pervert's face. "Good. I didn't wanna waste Coca-Cola." She paused for a second. "I'm going to get a drink."

Kakashi just laughed and went back to the table.

Nori joined him again a minute later, and he laughed as she came back. "You'd better hope that's not Coke, because here comes another one."

She looked up to see another guy coming towards her. This one was taller than her although less muscular than the last guy, and he had jet-black hair and deep blue eyes.

"Hmm. He's kinda cute." She mumbled as he came closer.

He smiled at her, showing perfect white teeth. "Hello. My name is Carl. Do you think you could favor me with a dance?"

"Well...since you asked so nicely..." Nori rose to her feet reluctantly.

Kakashi watched with jealously not hidden very well as they went off to dance. As they did, they made conversation. About a minute later, though, Carl asked, "So, what kind of things are you into?"

"Excuse me?" Asked Nori, unsure if she was assuming correctly.

"You know...bondage, oral, handcuffs, anal...?"

A second later, Kakashi lifted his and Nori's drinks off the table as Carl was punted halfway across the room, landing in the middle of the table and breaking it.

Nori came over to stand beside Kakashi. "You're lucky I don't have Pepsi, you sick bastard!"

Kakashi just moved to the next table over. "No luck, huh?"

Nori sighed, sitting down across from him. "No. This place is filled with perverts."

Kakashi laughed, returning her drink to her. "Well, it _is_ a club. The guys don't come to dance...they come here because the girls come here."

She sighed again, her face resting on her hands, and took a sip of her drink. "I just wanna dance, and I can't even do that."

Kakashi took that as his cue, and he stood and pulled her to her feet.

"What are you doing?" She asked, puzzled.

"Well, you wanted to dance. So we're going to dance."

A slow song began to play.

"Well, I guess that's the end of that." She said, thinking that he wouldn't want to slow dance with her.

He just laughed. "Oh no you don't. You wanted to dance, you're going to dance."

She smiled. "Alright then, Hatake Kakashi...let's dance."

yay!

Ok, there we go. Much better!

BD333, Out!


	14. I Want to Know What Love Is

OH MY GOD you guys I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've been busy with finals and stuff (and possibly a budding new romance squeal) but that's no excuse . ! I'm sorry!

Kakashi led Nori towards the dance floor and took her into his arms, holding her to him as they danced in slow circles. The music played and pulsed through them, pulling them close and holding them together.

_I gotta take a little time_

_A little time to think things over_

_I better read between the lines_

_In case I need it when I'm older_

Kakashi silently mouthed the last line of the verse. He might have said it out loud, but the music was so loud, Nori never would have known. As it was, though, her arms were around his neck, and she was having trouble meeting his eyes.

_Now this mountain I must climb_

_Feels like a world upon my shoulders_

_Through the clouds I see love shine_

_It keeps me warm as life grows colder_

Nori sang the entire verse this time. She sighed, thinking of just how true the song was for the both of them.

_In my life there's been heartache and pain_

_I don't know if I can face it again_

_Can't stop now, I've travelled so far_

_To change this lonely life_

This time, both of them sang the whole verse. In their minds, they both knew that the words rang true for both of them. They launched into the chorus with their hearts pouring into the words.

_I wanna know what love is_

_I want you to show me_

_I wanna feel what love is_

_I know you can show me_

_I wanna know what love is_

_I want you to show me_

_And I wanna feel, I want to feel what love is_

_And I know, I know you can show me_

Nori was blushing as she looked up at Kakashi, thinking that the song could be true for them if only she would let it. She averted her eyes, though, not ready to commit to another man right after Iruka's death. Kakashi looked down at her sadly, the words more true for him than for her. She had already found love in Iruka and Itachi. He, on the other hand...he had no one, and he never had.

_Let's talk about love_

_I wanna know what love is, the love that you feel inside_

_I want you to show me, and I'm feeling such love_

_I wanna feel what love is, no, you just cannot hide_

_I know you can show me, yeah_

Kakashi unconsciously tightened his grip on Nori. Forgetting that he wasn't wearing his mask, he was smiling tenderly at her. When he saw the frightened look in her eyes, he remembered, and his tender feeling evaporated. However, she brought it back when she swallowed her doubts and laid her head on his shoulder.

_I wanna know what love is, let's talk about love_

_I want you to show me, I wanna feel it too_

_I wanna feel what love is, I want to feel it too_

_And I know and I know, I know you can show me_

_Show me love is real, yeah_

Nori picked her head back up to look solemnly yet sincerely into Kakashi's eyes while he returned her gaze with an affectionate yet strong one of his own. They held their gaze like that as the last notes of the song faded.

_I want to know what love is..._

Nearly simultaneously, they thought, 'So do I.'

Then, they looked at each other and smiled.

Yay! Chapter fifteen! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

BD333, out!


	15. Perverts Vs Kakashi

Oops you guys I forgot the last chapter's disclaimer, so I don't own 'I Want To Know What Love Is'. Foreigner does. Sorry! Anyway, for this chapter, I decided to take a break from the song-age (my word :D). HERE IT IS!

As the song faded and the spell it held over them went along with it, both Nori and Kakashi ended up blushing and moving apart quickly. Nori was surprised and disgusted at herself. 'I can't do this. Kakashi is Iruka's best friend. Iruka would never forgive me. Although he did tell me to move on...'

Kakashi was slightly upset as well. 'I'm rushing her...I can't rush her. She's not ready. I can't try yet...if I take advantage of her, she'll never love me like I want her to. I've got to introduce her to somebody who _isn't_ a pervert. If we spend all night together with her dressed like _that_...I don't know if I'll be able to keep my emotions in check.'

Nori and Kakashi had been sitting at their table for about two minutes when Nori interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Well...I was just wondering...why do you keep your face hidden under your mask like that? You obviously have nothing to hide."

A small smile twitched onto his face despite his efforts to control it. "That's just it. I've lost so many people already...I don't want to gain more just to lose them."

Her eyes saddened. "That...Kakashi...you can't just..."

He smiled. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."

She didn't smile back, but instead sat there stoically, pleadingly looking into his eyes with a worried frown on her face.

The extent of her worry disarmed and disconcerted him. With an obviously forced smile on his face, he stood. "I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" She asked, sounding panicked.

"Relax, Nori. I'm only going to the restroom."

She sat back in her chair hesitatingly, still rigidly holding herself stiff. "Don't be long, ok? I...I don't think I'm as strong as I used to be. Those two perves were easy, but I can only handle like three more, minimum."

Kakashi's eyes were sad as he turned away from her to head to the restroom. 'She can only handle five guys now? She's _really_ been hurt by this...'

When he came back about four minutes later, he found Nori politely trying to rid herself of, judging by the four unconscious forms strewn about, the seventh pervert of the night. He could see, even from his distance, that her skin had a pale cast to it, a sure sign that she was tired. As he saw this newest pervert slide his hands past Nori's weak resistance to grab her ass, his anger flared, and his pace increased. Since it was obvious that Nori was angry and didn't want to be touched, Kakashi knew that this guy was either more perverted than the others, really stupid, or a rapist. When Nori's new admirer pressed himself against her and leaned in to kiss her, Kakashi lost it. Before the guy's lips touched Nori's, Kakashi had him by the throat and had thrown him across the room into the wall. Before Nori could thank him, he was holding a kunai to the guy's throat. The members of the club, used to the distractions of angry ninjas, had simply moved out of the way, leaving the path clear for Nori, who darted quickly across the room to Kakashi's side. She slid herself into the small gap between Kakashi and Pervert #7 and put her hand on Kakashi's kunai arm.

"Kakashi, stop! He's not a ninja, Kakashi, you can't kill him!" She turned towards the guy she was now defending. "And you...leave me the fuck alone or I'll let him."

Kakashi still had his kunai pressed against the guy's throat, so he believed her and muttered, "O-ok."

Nori turned her head back towards Kakashi. "Come on...let him go, Kakashi. He wasn't hurting anything."

Kakashi was breathing hard in anger, and because she was so close to him, Nori could feel his chest heaving and his heart beating. When he answered, it was in a low growl that Nori could feel in her chest, being so close to him.

"Not hurting anything, huh? What about you? Look at you. You're pale, you're shaking, and you look like you'd rather be anywhere but here. I brought you here to help you relax, and perverts like these are ruining it for you. He just had his hands in places I'm sure even Iruka would have felt insecure touching. Why shouldn't I kill him?" He growled, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Kakashi, please...please don't!" She exclaimed, his mention of Iruka surprising her.

"Please don't...I'll do anything..." Mumbled the pervert that started the whole thing.

Kakashi's eyes hardened at that. "If there's one thing I hate more than a man who doesn't respect a self-respecting woman...it's a man that begs."

Nori watched his hand tighten on the kunai, and she knew she had to do something to stop him. She knew he was stronger than her at the moment, and he had always been quicker than her, so she did the only thing she knew to do to get any straight man to forget himself.

She leaned forward, pulled him down to her level, and kissed him straight on the mouth.

Oh my! gasp Nori! What are you thinking, dear?! lol anyway. there it goes!

BD333 out!


	16. Iris

Here's chapter sixteen, special for A.D. Grey, who has reminded me that yes, people do read my story and yes, they get bored waiting! Here it is!

oh right, Disclaimer: Don't own Iris. The Goo Goo Dolls do. YAY!

YAY

Kakashi's kunai clattered to the floor as Nori's lips pressed onto his, and his hands shook slightly. When she saw that the pervert had run away, she immediately pulled back from Kakashi's mouth, who reluctantly leaned back, following her an inch or so with his lips. When she was back down to her level, he stared at her in confusion.

"What-"

"Why-"

They both stopped, and Kakashi motioned for her to go ahead.

"Why did you want to kill him so badly? I've _never_ seen you lose your temper so badly before...actually, I've never seen you lose your temper at all. What gives?"

Kakashi's eyes darkened. "There are two things in this world that really get to me. The first thing is a coward. The second and perhaps most irritating thing is a man that doesn't respect a self-respecting woman. The women at brothels and strip clubs are one thing...but a woman like you is a completely different matter. That guy...that guy was both."

She was glowing inwardly at the compliment he had paid her, but her training as a ninja had taught her to mask things like that, and she did so then as second-nature. "I see. What were you going to ask me?"

"Oh, yeah. Why did you kiss me?"

"Oh." She blushed, failing to hide it. "I had to. I didn't know how else to stop you. I mean, you're stronger than me right now, and you've always been quicker than me, so...well, I had to do _something_, and it was either that or kicking you in the balls."

He smiled at her, his calculating shinobi mind knowing that she had kissed him because on some subconscious level she had really wanted to, but his human nature not wanting to admit that he might have a chance with her because he was afraid of being hurt and afraid of admitting his feelings to only be rejected. "Well, I'm glad you chose not to kick me."

Her brain told her that he had meant he was glad that she had kissed him, but modesty and fear of betraying her deceased husband made her take it a different way. "Well, I didn't really want to hurt you."

He looked around for a second, then turned back to the 19-year-old kunoichi in front of him. He knew he was only a year older than Iruka, but it seemed like a lot when she was nineteen and he was twenty-seven. He cleared his thoughts and asked, "Well...you want to go sit down now?"

She nodded, her knees suddenly weak with relief that he hadn't killed that guy. She knew that the penalty for shinobi who killed citizens was life in prison, at minimum punishment. She sighed with relief as he headed for a table, forgetting the pervert that had nearly gotten himself killed as she followed him. Just then, a favorite song of Nori's came on, and she jumped up, all fatigue forgotten in her excitement. "Come on, Kakashi! We gotta dance to this! I haven't heard this song in forever!"

He laughed at her excitement. "What happened to finding you a companion, huh?"

"I don't care about that! Come on! Dance with me, please! I _love_ this song! Come on come on come on! Please??? It's starting!"

He sighed, but he grinned. "Alright. I'll dance with you."

"Yes!" She grinned, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to his feet quickly. "Come on!"

He smiled at her, her enthusiasm touching him. "Alright, alright, I'm coming!"

As she dragged him onto the dance floor, she began to sing along with the words that spilled out of the speakers and thrummed into her ears.

_And I'd give up forever to touch you_

_Cause I know that you feel me somehow_

_You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be_

She smiled at him as she sang the next words. "_And I don't want to go home right now."_

He couldn't help but smile back at her with a crooked little smile that tugged at her heart, although he didn't know it. Then, he began to sing along with her, laughter in his voice at the pleasantly surprised light that shone in her eyes when he did.

_"And all I can taste is this moment_

_And all I can breathe is your life_

_Cause sooner or later it's over_

_I just don't wanna miss you tonight"_

He sung the last words to her especially, but she was singing them to Iruka, wherever he might be. Her smile had faded, but when she looked back at Kakashi, she smiled even more brightly than before, because he was now completely into the song.

_"And I don't want the world to see me_

_Cause I don't think that they'd understand_

_When everything's made to be broken_

_I just want you to know who I am"_

She smiled as she sang with him again, joining him on the third line of the chorus. The next verse, though, they both knew was more serious. Kakashi looked solemnly at Nori as he sang the next words to her, not breaking eye contact once.

_"And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming_

_Or the moment of truth in your lies"_

She blinked quickly, fighting the tears anyway. Knowing that he saw it, she sang the next lines as her response.

_"When everything seems like the movies_

_Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive"_

The corners of his mouth turned down, and his eyes clouded over slightly. They sang the chorus two times more, and they faded out, singing one line four times.

"_I just want you to know who I am."_

The song faded out, leaving them in a depressed mood for a split second. As the next song came on, however, Nori's eyes lit up.

Kakashi laughed. "What is it?"

She laughed happily, ecstatic at the next song.

"Two favorites in a row!"

YAY

Yes lol I AM a Goo Goo Dolls fan. WOOOOO!

BD333, out!


	17. Here In Your Arms

Wow you guys, I don't even know what chapter this is anymore. 16 or 17 because that author's note doesn't count as a chapter. But anyhow...here it is:D

Kakashi just shook his head and started to head back to their table, but he stopped when Nori grabbed his hand. "Where are you going?"

He smiled. "I'm kind of tired."

"Oh, come on! You've only danced two songs!"

"Hey, I just got back from a mission right before this, and I---oh, don't you dare give me those eyes, Nori."

Nori turned large, sad eyes on Kakashi. "Please, Kakashi? Please stay and dance with me?"

He shook his head and crossed his arms. "I'm going to sit down."

Her eyes just got sadder, and he began to fidget uncomfortably. Sensing his weakness, she murmured, "Please, 'Kashi? It's just one more dance...I promise we can sit down right after this one...please? It would make me so happy..."

She looked down at the right time to make him squirm uncomfortably. When she saw him uncross his arms with her peripheral vision, she knew she had him.

Kakashi sighed in defeat. "Alright, alright...one more song, but that's all. If you try to pull me into another one-!"

She silenced him by throwing her arms around him in a bear hug. "I won't, Kakashi, I promise! Come on!" She tugged on his hand to pull him towards the dance floor again.

He sighed and followed, trying to ignore the fact that his entire body now felt rather warm from her touch. He let her take him over to the dance floor. They had missed the first verse, but they were in the middle of a musical interlude, and he half-heartedly danced as Nori danced around him in a circle happily. She noticed, as he had known she would, but she didn't ignore it, as he had expected she would. Instead, she took his hands and made him dance with her, twirling around in a light-footed step that didn't require much movement from him. He smiled at her thoughtfulness. 'She didn't get pissed off like Anko would have.'

Then, as the words started, Nori sang them happily. "_Cause our lips...can touch. And our cheeks...can brush. Our lips can touch...here."_

Kakashi smiled at her. 'She has a pretty good voice for singing, and she's not a bad dancer.'

"_Well you are the one the one that lies close to me_

_Whispers 'hello, I miss you quite terribly"_

He joined her on the next lines of the song, surprising her because he knew the song and she hadn't expected him to. Because she was so surprised, she didn't even realize that he was talking to her through the song.

_"I fell in love, in love with you suddenly_

_Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms"_

She twirled around him again when another musical part interrupted the singing. She pulled him into the dance slowly without him even realizing it until he felt his feet moving more quickly than they had been a few minutes before. Nori was laughing at the irony of the night. All three songs that they had danced to had applied to them personally, and this one was no different.

_"I like_

_Where you sleep_

_When you sleep_

_Next to me_

_I like_

_Where you sleep_

_Here"_

Kakashi was watching Nori dance around him, and he was dancing with her as he hadn't known he was capable of dancing. Every step she took seemed to require a response step from him, and, surprisingly, he knew what was required. Either that or she worked her steps to match each response. He didn't really care. For once, he was enjoying himself while dancing. 'Every time Anko makes me take her dancing, I just stand there while she rubs up against me. Nori, on the other hand, isn't even touching anything but my hands, yet I feel even closer to her than I've ever felt to Anko.'

_Our lips_

_Can touch_

_And our cheeks_

_Can brush_

_Cause our lips_

_Can touch_

_Here_

Those words set both of their minds to wondering just what would happen if they would kiss for real, instead of just a distraction. Both of them, though, thought that it would be too soon.

_"Well you are the one, the one that lies close to me_

_Whispers 'hello, I miss you quite terribly_

_I fell in love, in love with you suddenly_

_Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms"_

Kakashi and Nori danced together through the entire instrument solo. For a long time, their worlds shrunk down to just the two of them, dancing to the pulse of a song that seemed made to dance to. Gradually they danced closer and closer together, and when the next verse started, they were only a few inches apart.

_Our lips_

_Can touch_

_Our lips_

_Can touch_

_Here_

Once again, both of them were wondering. They were close enough that they could have done so easily without feeling too awkward, but they were both too afraid, albeit both for different reasons.

_Well you are the one, the one that lies close to me_

_Whispers 'hello, I miss you quite terribly'_

_I fell in love, in love with you suddenly_

_Now there's no place else I could be but here in your_

They were too caught up in dancing now even to sing the words to the song. Nori moved around Kakashi at light speed, dashing here and springing there. Kakashi was surprising himself by being able to keep up.

_Well, you are the one the one that lies close to me_

_Whispers 'hello, I miss you quite terribly_

_I fell in love, in love with you suddenly_

_Now there's no place else I could be but here in your arms_

Kakashi looked intensely at Nori's face, but looked away, blushing slightly, when she looked up and caught him watching. He knew in his heart that he had given himself away by looking away, but it was too late to do anything about it now. He sighed. For a ninja, he was having a rough time of keeping his emotions hidden.

_Here in your arms_

_Here in your arms._

As the music faded out, Nori watched Kakashi's face, not sure what to make of the fact that he was blushing. When he sighed, she felt a sudden urge to hug him tightly and never let go. She had moved forward slightly before she caught herself and held herself back. 'What would Iruka think?'

It was just a shame that she didn't know that Iruka would've wanted her to move on.

I hope you liked it, guys!

BD333, out!

REVIEW ME PLEASE


	18. At The End of the Night

Sorry I haven't updated in so long! I wasn't being lazy like I usually am lol. This time I was busy writing more on this and on Never Say Goodbye, another story I'm writing. SO sorry you guys!

I bet if you review, though, I'll be more likely to update :D

At that moment, just as Nori had opened her arms to embrace Kakashi and was offbalance, someone bumped into her from behind, and she tumbled into Kakashi. He, being a ninja with superbly sharp reflexes, had caught her in his arms, so they had ended up hugging anyway.

Nori slid away, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry about that, Kakashi..."

He just smiled at her. "It's no problem." He murmured softly, releasing her in a way that conveyed regret.

She just laughed and headed over to their table, grabbing her Coke and taking a big gulp. She laughed. "I'm actually having a good time, Kakashi. Unbelievable!"

He laughed as well, a sound that drilled straight through Nori, grabbing her heart and poking it a little to make it beat faster. "How kind of you to sound surprised that you'd have a good time with me."

She blushed. "Oh, no, that's not what I meant, Kakashi, I-"

He interrupted her by laughing. "I know, I know. I'm only teasing."

She smiled. "I see how it is. Well, I suppose it's only fair...you did have to put up with my kid sister and several pranks I taught her for three years."

"Don't tell me you taught her the old 'collapsing chair' trick."

Nori laughed. "Yeah. And then there's the 'let's fill up a ketchup bottle with hot sauce and give it to sensei'. That one's a classic."

Kakashi grimaced. "I'll say. I still have burns."

He stuck out his tongue as if to look at the alleged burns, and she laughed. "Yeah, they're completely noticable."

He laughed. "I'm sure."

The rest of the night passed in a blur for Nori. She danced with Kakashi a little more, threw a few more perverts, and broke one or two more tables. But all night, she didn't meet a single guy she liked. However...she was glad for that. Although she was able to have a good time, Iruka was always there in the corner of her mind, thoughts of him preventing her from truly enjoying herself.

Almost before she was ready, it was time to leave and head for home. She and Kakashi, giggling and walking arm-in-arm, left the club and headed slowly towards Nori's house.

"...and then the first guy says, 'Dude, that's no cavewoman. That's a picture of my mom when she forgets to shave.'"

Nori burst into a fresh round of laughter. "Oh my god..." She laughed more.

He laughed at her laughter. "If you keep laughing like that, your mom is going to think you're drunk."

"Oh, god." She stopped laughing instantly. He laughed even more, and that made her giggle again. "My mom'll think _you're_ drunk before she thinks I am!"

He laughed again. "Yeah, well, I'm legal drinking age. You, ma'am," He poked her in the forehead. "...are not."

She frowned, sticking out her lower lip and glowering up at him. This expression provoked him into a long, loud round of laughter, and she frowned even more. "Hey, I'm not that young! I'll be twenty next week!"

He smiled, taking pity on her. "True. You're still pretty young to me, though." He grinned, knowing something that bothered her to no end. "_Kiddo."_

She stopped in her tracks. "Hey, old man, don't you dare-" She broke off when she saw the expression on his face. "Hey...what's wrong? I didn't mean it, Kakashi, you know I was only kidding around..."

He looked up at her with a big grin. "Gotcha."

"Agh!" She punched him in the shoulder. "You bitch!"

He frowned, holding his shoulder. "Damn...that stings."

She smiled, growing serious now. "Well, hey...thanks for taking me out tonight. It felt pretty good to take my mind off of everything, if only for a night."

He smiled sadly at her. "Any time, Nori. Hey...you said your birthday's next week, right?"

"Yeah...?"

"Why don't I take you out for your first drink?"

"I...I don't know, Kakashi...I don't know if I want to drink at all." She smiled. "Besides...I don't want to go to a bar or anything. I mean, I wouldn't be able to handle any of the drinks there, so..."

He laughed. "Alright. I'm going to bring you a drink, then."

She laughed. "Yeah, ok. Good luck getting past my mom with it."

He laughed again. "Yeah, you're right."

Soon enough, though, they were walking towards her street. They had left the club early because the manager was getting tired of the broken tables, and they still had nearly an hour left before Nori had to be home. Suddenly, hoping that he wasn't pushing his boundaries, Kakashi swept her off her feet and jumped up onto the roof across from her house, carrying her with him.

She squealed and threw her arms around his neck, feeling off-balance. "Kakashi, put me down!" She exclaimed.

He just grinned at her, his face only a few inches away from hers. They stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds, their smiles fading, but then Nori thought, 'Oh...Iruka...' Hearing his name in her mind snapped her to attention, and she pulled away, which wasn't a good idea, seeing as she was in his arms.

She fell out of his arms and onto her ass on the roof.

"Ow!" She stood up, rubbing her ass.

"I'm sorry, Nori!" Exclaimed Kakashi, flustered. "I didn't mean to-"

She laughed. "It's alright. I'm a ninja, remember? I've been through worse."

He looked at her sadly. "Yeah...yeah, I know..."

She just smiled, refusing to dwell on her past. "Yes, well anyway...we have nearly fifteen minutes before I have to be home, right?"

"Yeah." He said softly, still feeling sad for her.

"Then let's go somewhere and just hang out for a little. Can we?"

He laughed. "Sure. You don't have to ask me like I'm in charge."

"Well," she teased, "You kind of are, remember? Sakura recruited you."

His smiled faded a bit. "Yeah, well...I didn't exactly protest."

She sat down on the rooftop, dangling her legs off the edge of the roof. "Kakashi...tell me...do you miss Iruka?"

He looked at her in shock. Why would she want to talk about Iruka now, and why with him? They both knew that there was a chemistry between them, and they both knew that grief was still eating away at Nori. Why would she chose Kakashi to talk about her deceased husband?

She smiled sadly. "That look...it says 'why me'. Well...I don't really know. I mean...you and Iruka were friends. He looked up to you. You admired his kindheartedness. Besides that...you know a lot more about dealing with grief than anyone else around here seems to. And, above all...I trust you, Hatake Kakashi. That's not something I can say to just anyone. I can't talk to anyone else about Iruka...but I know you understand. Do you miss him, Kakashi?

A saddened expression crossed his face. "Well..." He sat down next to her, a little closer than was necessary. "Of course I miss him. Not as much as you do, of course, but I do miss him." He looked over at Nori sadly, seeing the dark circles under the woman's eyes and the gaunt, haggard look that now possessed her face. "Losing him has affected all of Konoha...but none of us are hurting as badly as you are."

She looked away from him in denial. "I'm not hurting."

He reached out and gently turned her face to his. "You can't hide it, Nori. I can see that you're hurting."

She searched his face, then smiled sadly. "But, Kakashi...I'm _not_ hurting. I'm not hurting...because I can't feel. I'm not hurting...I'm empty."

Nori looked away from Kakashi's shocked, empathetic face and up to the moon. She sighed. "It's nearly three, Kakashi." She leaned over and kissed his cheek gently, a fleeting kiss that was over almost before it had begun. "Goodnight."

Nori jumped down off the roof and landed in front of her house. She slid silently through the front door, not looking back once.

Kakashi, left alone on the rooftop, watched her go sadly. He raised his hand to call out to her, but a small voice inside him told him not to call after her. He knew that in the long run, it would be better for her if she could cope with her grief on her own, but he wanted so badly to help her he almost couldn't hold back. In a whisper that carried though he hadn't meant it to, he murmured, "If only you would be happy again...then I could be happy as well."

He jumped away quickly after that, knowing that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to hold back from going in after her.

Inside the Haruno residence, Nori slumped against the door, slid to the ground, and began to cry.

Super long chapter as compensation for the wait! Sorry again, guys!  
BD333, out!


	19. A Nighttime Visit

After this chapter, I have to take a bit of a break to get the story line moving along, so I probably won't have the next chapter up for a week. Sorry guys ;

Nori's charade went on for almost half a year before anything happened. In those six months, she pretended that she was fine and that nothing was wrong. Sakura and Naruto bought it, and the rest of the village did as well. The only ones who may have been suspicious were Tsunade and Kakashi, Tsunade because she knew the grief of losing the man you love and Kakashi because he knew Nori. They, however, thought it best to let Nori have some time to cope on her own before they brought up the subject again.

Although Nori appeared to be normal, her grief ate away ate her on the inside. Her medical powers still hadn't returned to normal, which was what had caused Tsunade's initial suspicions. She no longer got up at sunrise to watch the birds, and Sakura often made the sunset trip to the park by herself. Naruto often had to skip out on missions when Kakashi or other Jounin were scarce, and now had to beg Kakashi for ramen if he wanted any. And Sasuke, far away and in training, still hadn't taken off the necklace his beloved nii-san had given him.

Nori's routines began to go haywire as well. She no longer woke with the dawn. Instead, she woke around noon and stayed awake until late at night, going inside to bed with the first hint of dawn, as though she were avoiding the light. Late one night, exactly one half of a year after Iruka's death, Nori wrapped her arms around herself and sat staring up at the moon on the rooftop she and Kakashi had sat on sixth months ago, the last time she had been able to cry. 'Iruka...god, Iruka, why didn't you listen to me?! You could be here with me right now...no, instead you have to be with Kami-sama! I suppose he takes you when he wants you, but still, Iruka...you had a few more years left to be with me!'

She looked silently up at the moon and felt the tears burning behind her eyes. As she sniffled, refusing to cry, she caught a scent. It was the faint smell of pine trees, and it was coming from somewhere behind her. It was a manly scent that reminded one of hard work, hardships, and most of all strength. She spoke quietly as she identified the only man who would be wearing that particular scent. "You can come sit down, Kakashi. You don't have to stand."

Slowly, he walked forward and sat down beside her, leaving about five feet of space between them, afraid he was too close to her. "I just got back from a mission, and I thought I would check up on you. How...how are you doing? I know you're not okay, but I mean..."

She broke the awkward silence that he trailed into. "You're right, Kakashi...I'm not okay. Other than losing Iruka, though, I'm holding up okay." They sat in silence for a little until she asked, "So, how was your mission?"

Kakashi was surprised at her open admittance to the face that his loss was hurting her when she had tried so hard to hide it earlier. "It was fine. I can't exactly share details, but it was a good mission in all."

Nori sat silently, her knees bent with her arms resting on top of them, her entire face hidden except for her eyes, which stared up at the moon. "...that's good, then."

"Yeah." He nodded.

"So, I guess you went quite a distance away from here."

"How did you know? I went to the Fang Country."

"You're wearing that scent. The pine tree one."

"Oh." He tried not to be pleased that she had noticed, but he failed.

They sat in a neutral silence after that. It wasn't companionable, because Nori was being almost cold to Kakashi in her attempts not to fall for him, but it wasn't awkward either. It was just a silence. Kakashi broke it.

"You know, Nori...you do know that if you ever need to talk to somebody...you can always come to me."

She looked up at him, gauging his intent. She knew that he liked her, and she didn't want that to be the only reason he offered comfort to her. She saw in his eye and in his heart that it wasn't just because it was her, but that he genuinely wanted to end her pain for good. Then, she allowed him a small, sad smile that only magnified the extent of how bad she was feeling. "Yeah, Kakashi. I know. Thank you, though, for telling me that."

She couldn't tell, but she thought she heard a smile in his voice when he said, "It's no problem."

They resumed the silence. It still wasn't awkward for Nori, but Kakashi, on the other hand, was feeling extremely awkward. 'I'm being way too forward with her. It's only been six months. She's not ready yet. I'd better let her alone.'

He sighed and stood up, heading over to the edge of the roof to leave Nori. As he passed by her, though, he stopped, then looked down at her. She had her hand clasped around his wrist, and she was looking up at him intently. "Y-you can stay, you know. You don't have to leave."

She couldn't tell, but behind his mask, he was smiling. All she saw was him coming over and sitting down beside her.

But that...that was enough.

Well, that was it. It'll get more interesting soon, I promise!  
BD333, out!


	20. Only in Dreams

FUCKIN YEAH!!! IM SO EXCITED!!! THIS was the most fun chapter I have EVER written!!!! I LOVED WRITING IT!!!! So you guys had better love reading it ;)

Kakashi sat with Nori all night, until she was ready to go home for the rest of the night. As she stood up, he stood as well, then looked down at her with a smile. "Jiraiya is taking Naruto for training tomorrow morning. Are you going to tell him goodbye?"

"Of course I am." She answered. "I love that kid like a brother. You know that."

He smiled. "I know. They're leaving at noon. I'll see you there, then."

"Definitely. Goodnight, Kakashi."

"Goodnight, Nori. And...sweet dreams."

She smiled faintly. Kakashi saddened when she smiled, because the smile that was there wasn't the one that used to be there. This one only amplified her sadness, emphasizing the circles under her eyes and the tired, pale look on her face. Then, she spoke. "I can try."

Then, she went off to bed.

Kakashi watched sadly as she slid through her open window. Then, he turned and walked away.

Nori was sleeping by three. Almost instantly, she began to dream.

_"What is this place? Where am I?" Nori murmured, looking around. Then, she recognized the meadow. "It's Iruka's special place...the place he brought me to that one time to watch the sun set. What am I doing here?"_

_Just then, a shady figure began to immerge from the forest._

_'Who is that?' Thought Nori._

_Then, she saw. 'Oh, it's Kakashi. I wonder what he wants?'_

_Kakashi came closer and closer to Nori, until he walked up and paused right in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Nori...you know I like you, much more than is normal between friends. We're not meant to be friends, Nori. We were created by higher powers to be married. I'm sure you know that, deep down in your heart."_

_"Kakashi...I..."_

_"Noriko...kiss me."_

_"K-Kakashi..." She murmured._

Nori frowned in her sleep in concentration.

_He took her into his arms and pressed his lips firmly against hers. She was too surprised at first to do anything but receive his kiss, but she returned it a few seconds later._

_The second she returned his kiss, he melted away, and she felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned to find Iruka standing there._

_"Iruka!" She yelped in excitement, but faltered at the expression on his face._

_He looked at her sadly. "I thought you loved me, Nori."_

_"I _do_ love you, Iruka! I do!"_

_He only frowned more. "You certainly have an odd way of showing it, Nori."_

_"I...I thought you were dead, Iruka! I would give _anything_ to have you back! Please, what do I have to do?"_

Nori began to toss and turn in her sleep.

_Nori ran towards Iruka excitedly, but when she went to embrace him, he faded away before her eyes. "Iruka..."_

_She wasn't sure how she knew it, but she knew someone else was behind her, and she turned around._

Nori began to thrash around in her sleep, tears speckling her sheets.

_When she turned around, however, it wasn't Iruka or Kakashi that was standing there. Nori gasped. "I-Itachi..." She breathed._

_He looked at her with an utterly cold expression in his eyes. "Noriko...you killed me. How could you kill me?"_

_"I-Itachi...I...I had to. You would've killed me, and killed my village as well. I _had_ to kill you, Itachi, don't you see? Besides that, you would've raped me!"_

_"I...well, that is true. I'm very sorry for that, Nori, but...I hadn't seen you in so long, and I was nearly insane with wanting you to stay. I know that's no excuse, but..." He sighed, then looked up and saw that she forgave him and continued. "Nori...I want you to know something. Listen closely, because this is very important." He drew closer to her, pulled her to his chest, and touched his forehead to hers. She had thought that she was dreaming, but now she almost felt him touching her. "I love you. I have always loved you, and I always will. But...you've got to let me go. Before you can face your husband's death, you must face mine. When you wake, you'll remember this only as a dream. It was, at least the first part, but I assure you, I am real, and I'm really here. I've spent far too long on a path of evil, so you and I won't meet again, neither here nor in the world above. I was allowed to come to you only because you are miserable, not as a favor to me. Umino Noriko, you __must__ let me go. I'm lost to you, Nori, as you are lost to me. Let me go. Let me go, and let Iruka go. Kakashi is the one you are destined for. Iruka is on a higher level of heaven than even you can hope to achieve, and I...I am to spend eternity in hell. Let us go, Nori. Let yourself go."_

_"Itachi-kun..." Nori cried, tears rolling down her face, hardly able to keep eye contact with him even at that close range. "If...if this really is you..."_

_"It is."_

_Nori cried harder. "Itachi...I can go to hell with you!" The tears cleared out of her eyes, and she looked up at him excitedly. "You and I...we'll spend eternity together there!"_

_"You...you would follow me to hell?"_

_"Of course! If I was with you, it wouldn't matter where we were. Any place would be heaven, as long as we were together!"_

_Itachi smiled sadly. "No, Nori."_

_"W-what?"_

_"No. You might be willing to follow me to hell...but I am not willing to let you. Kakashi is for you. Iruka and I are not."_

_"Itachi...how can you stand there and say that? If you love me, how can you stand there and refuse eternity with me?"_

_"Because," Itachi's voice broke. "Because I _do_ love you. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I can't let you go to hell just to be with me. And besides that, Kakashi is the one you are destined to be with. You _can_ break away from destiny...but it is rarely for the better."_

_Nori swallowed, looking into the black, black eyes of her first love. In that instant, she knew that this wasn't a dream. In that instant, she knew what she had to do, and that he was right. He was her past, Iruka was her present, and Kakashi...Kakashi was her future. But she also knew that, since this was the last time she would ever see Itachi again, she had to make it count._

_So she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his tightly._

_He pulled back in shock. "Nori, weren't you listening to me? I can't-!"_

_"I know, Itachi. But this is the last time I'll ever see you. I might as well make it count for something, right? So now, I'm doing what I was always afraid to do. What I should've done long ago, and maybe things wouldn't be this way today."_

_Itachi stepped forward again, slid his arms around her, and paused, his lips centimeters away from hers. "It's for the better." He whispered, before he cut off her contradictory response with his kiss._

_She lost herself in the memory of their first kiss, that fateful night nearly a year before. She pulled her mind out of that memory and focused on his face in front of her, then shut her eyes and pressed her lips to his. She was fairly inexperienced, seeing as she and Iruka had never even used their tongues during a kiss, and Itachi seemed to sense this, seeing as how he didn't open his lips even a little. They simply kissed, although it was a rather fierce kiss, tasting of sadness, regret, and wistfulness._

_Then, Itachi pulled away, hearing a voice that Nori could not. He looked down at her sadly. "I've got to go, Nori."_

_She sighed, feeling the tears coming. Then, she threw her arms around him, kissed his lips, and murmured, "Goodbye, Itachi. I'll miss you."_

_He hugged her back, kissed her lips, and wiped away her tears. "Goodbye, Nori. I'll miss you as well."_

_Then, he began to walk away. Nori looked down into the grass he had been standing in, seeing a glint out of the corner of her eye. She picked up his ring. "Itachi!" She called. "Your ring!"_

_"I don't need it where I'm going." He said quietly. "Keep it. Keep it and remember me."_

_"Then...you keep this." She slid her bracelet off of her wrist and threw it to him. He caught it and stared down at the sparkling stone that had the kanji for love inscribed on it. It was a practical bracelet for a ninja, strong and easily hidden._

_He looked up from the bracelet and looked up at her, shocking her with the tears in his eyes. "Ironic, just how fitting this is. I love you, Nori. But please, remember. Let me go. Let Iruka go. Kakashi is your destined life-partner."_

_"I'll remember, Itachi." Her voice broke. "But I love you too."_

_A single tear slid down his cheek and into the grass of the meadow. Then, he was gone._

Nori sat up in bed, gasping for air and sobbing, fists clenched and tears falling down her face. She raised her right hand to her lips, almost sure that she could feel the tingles left from his kiss there, then looked down at her right wrist to her bracelet, but it was gone. Then, she opened her left fist.

Sitting there on her palm was Itachi's Akatsuki ring. Her eyes widened in complete shock, but she slid the ring onto her right ring finger, exactly the finger that Itachi had worn it on. She trembled and shook as she sobbed, trying to keep quiet as tears dripped down onto the kanji for 'scarlet'. Eventually, though, her tears stopped flowing, and she brought the ring up to her lips and kissed it. 'Itachi...I let you go now.' She thought. 'Iruka...I'm just beginning to release you. But soon...I'll be ready.'

'Soon.'

And she fell asleep, exhausted, with her very first love's kiss on her lips, his memory in her heart, and his ring on her hand.

That was it. WASNT IT FUCKIN AWESOME?!?!?! You'll have to excuse the language, I say 'fuck' a lot when I'm excited.

BD333, out!

If you review any chapter, review this one! PLEASE!!!!


	21. Naruto's Departure

Ok, new chapter! I'll be sending my computer in for repair, so it'll be a while between updates :(

The next morning, Nori woke up feeling slightly better than she had the night before. She had managed to make peace with Itachi, although most of that was his doing. There was no doubt in her mind that it had truly been him in her dream the night before, although maybe dream wasn't the right word. However, she was still uncertain if she could let go of Iruka or not.

As she slid into fresh clothes and went about her morning rituals of brushing teeth and hair, she thought about the words Itachi had said to her the night before. If what Itachi had said was true, then she would never see Iruka again either. As she dressed, she channelled her thoughts to Iruka. 'Iruka...honey, you'll never believe what happened to me last night. I met Itachi again in a dream. He apologized for everything he did to me, and he told me that Kakashi is supposed to be my life-partner. He said that I would never see him again after last night, and he told me that I'd most likely never see you again either because you were on a higher level of heaven than I would be. I believe him...but...I can't give you up yet. Maybe I should, Iruka, but I can't. I'm only human. It's in my nature to hold on, even when I should be giving up.'

She paused as she slipped a netted shirt on and slid a dark green tanktop on over it. She looked down at Itachi's ring and thought, 'If he can come to me, Iruka...why can't you?'

Sighing slightly, she jumped into her pants and headed out the door, arriving at the village gates a few minutes earlier than she had to. She was alone for a few minutes until Kakashi arrived. "Yo."

"Yo yourself." She smiled.

Immediately, he noticed that her smile was brighter than the one she had given him the night before. She reached a hand up to brush her hair back behind her ears, and his eyes were drawn to the ring on her finger. His eyes widened as he identified it as Itachi's and from the Akatsuki. Before he could say anything to her, though, her eyes caught Naruto and Jiraiya walking towards the gates. Naruto caught sight of her and began to run.

"Nii-san! You came to see me off!"

"Of course, Naruto. You _are_ my little brother, aren't you?"

He grinned. "You bet I am!"

"Well, Naruto, are you ready to head off?" Asked Jiraiya.

"Yeah! I've been ready for years!"

"Naruto." Nori said, getting his attention.

"Yeah, nii-san?"

She knelt down in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders, looking seriously into his eyes. "Take care of yourself, Naruto. I know how you like to push yourself, but don't do it. I'm not saying not to try, I'm just saying that you need to tone it down a little." Then, she pulled him into a hug. "I'll miss you, kid. Take care."

Naruto nodded.

Then, Nori stood and glared dangerously at Jiraiya, sizing him up. "And you. I'd better get him back in one piece, or there'll be hell to pay. I don't care if you _are_ a sannin. If my little brother gets injured while he's under your protection, your ass is mine."

Jiraiya looked down at her, then cringed at the look in her eyes. "O-ok, Noriko-san, I'll bring him back perfectly intact and stronger than ever."

Satisfied, Nori nodded. Then, she turned to Naruto and handed him a package. "Here you go, Naruto. Now, don't open it until you get out of the gates, ok?"

"Ok, nii-san!" He said excitedly.

She stepped back to let him and Jiraiya pass, and they left the gates together. Kakashi and Nori came together in the middle of the path to watch them leave. Naruto was ripping into the brightly colored package Nori had given him excitedly.

"RAMEN!"

Nori smiled.

"And...a book? Aww, nii-san..."

"You'll have to train your brain too, you know! And I'm thinking Jiraiya's taste in books is a little too adult for you, so that'll have to do!"

"What did you give him?" Asked Kakashi.

"It's called Eragon. I slid Eldest in there as well. I'm sure he'll like them, and they're right at his reading level, maybe a little bit higher. I know he can do it. Especially because I left a note telling him that I'm expecting him to understand them both by the time he gets back, and I'll have the third ready for him."

"Hey...nii-san, what is this?" Yelled Naruto, holding up a scroll.

"Just some tips on how to integrate training into daily activities!" Called back Nori.

"YES!" Cried Naruto. "You're the best, nii-san!"

She smiled sadly. "Thanks..." She whispered, knowing that Naruto couldn't hear.

Kakashi began to get the feeling that part of her happiness was just for show. A _very_ large part. He realized that he had imagined the genuine happiness in her smile earlier because he had wanted it to be there. Today she was only slightly better than the previous night.

But still...it was a start.

Jiraiya turned slightly to look back at Kakashi and Nori. They were standing close together in the gates of the village, watching Naruto walk off. Kakashi noticed immediately when a sad expression crossed Nori's face, and he slid an arm firmly around her shoulders. She looked up at him in surprise and, while she didn't lean into him, she didn't push him away, either.

Jiraiya looked from the two of them standing together, watching Naruto walk away, to Naruto, who was looking interestedly at the cover of Eragon. He smiled. 'Looks like you've found yourself some parents, kid.' He cast one last glance at Nori and Kakashi, and he shuddered. 'Good luck, Kakashi. You'll need it. She's scary when she's mad.'

Nori looked up into the sky, so bright and blue on such a depressing day. She sighed. "Makes you wonder."

"Hmm?"

"It seems like the weather is always the brightest on the saddest days. It kind of makes you wonder if the world doesn't feed on human sadness."

As if in response, the sunlight glinted on Itachi's ring, blinding them both for a second.

Kakashi looked down at Nori and removed his arm from her shoulders, stepping around in front of her, crossing his arms, and staring down intimidatingly.

"We need to talk."

Wooooooooo! But not :( cuz u gotta wait for the next chapter a while:(

BD333, out!


	22. To The Left

Yeah, I'm super sorry it took so long to get this up! But for those of you who are reading my fic 'Never Say Goodbye', you already know why it took me so long! For those of you who aren't (YOU SHOULD BE), I've been in the hospital since the 17th, and it's like the 25th now. I should be coming home today, and this'll be the first thing I do, even before I read my email, and I have like 106 unread messages. Anyhow! Here's chapter twenty-two! Damn I've got a lot of chapters in this.

Kakashi looked down at Nori solemnly. "Now. You have Itachi's ring on your hand. It's been nearly a year since he died, and his body was mangled beyond recognition. Where did you get his ring, Nori? Is there something you're hiding?" His voice grew urgent and he put his hands on her shoulders and held tightly to her, shaking her a little. "Is Itachi still alive?!"

Nori looked up in shock, more at his question than at the rough way he was touching her. "No! Of course not!"

Kakashi held her wrist up to their face level. "Then how did you get this?"

She yanked her wrist out of his grasp. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She snarled, now angry at being manhandled.

Instantly, she was sorry, seeing the expression in his eye. He was feeling chastized and bad in general, but he surprised her by saying, "I'm sorry, Nori. I shouldn't have touched you like that. It wasn't right of me."

She rubbed her arm awkwardly, trailing her hand over the scar Kisame had left as she always did when she was feeling bad. "It's ok."

He looked up at her right after that. "But still...where did you get that ring?"

"Like I said...you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Kakashi...there's no way you're going to believe this."

"Try me."

She sighed. Then she began to walk.

"Hey!" Kakashi yelped. "You can't just-"

"I can, but I'm not. I don't want to talk about it here. Come on. We'll go to the park."

Kakashi followed her, feeling like a little kid again because he felt so awkward. 'Damn...this must be what draws us to her. Even Iruka...he told me once that she made him feel like he was back in high school.' Kakashi smiled. 'I remember those days. High school by day, Ninja Academy by night.' Then, he refocused on Nori, walking ahead of him, obviously deep in concentration. 'She _does_ make a man feel young again. She just has a way of making me feel nervous and awkward, like I did when I was a teenager. She's not even a teenager anymore, but she still makes me feel that way. If only Anko was so...I don't know...innocent? That's it! Nori is a ninja, and she's killed many people, but...there's an innocence to her that just...I don't know. It draws people to her. That's a weapon in its own right.'

He wasn't aware that they were even in the park until Nori sat down on her bench. He shook himself out of his thoughts and sat down beside her, then looked intently at her. "I'm ready."

She sighed. "Yeah...I guess I am too, then. Well...I don't think there's a tactful way to lead into this, so...I met him in my dreams."

Kakashi looked at her in surprise. "What?"

She looked at him. "I'm completely serious. I know you probably won't believe me, but it's the truth. He told me..." She blushed slightly as she remembered what Itachi had told her about Kakashi, but continued. "...that it wasn't a dream, and the only reason he was allowed to come to me was because I was miserable. He dropped his ring as he was leaving, and I gave him my bracelet to remember me by. When I woke up this morning, my bracelet was gone and his ring was in my hand. I don't expect you to believe me, but...that's how it happened."

Kakashi looked at her in shock. "You...met him in a dream?"

She nodded. "Like I said...I don't expect you to-"

"I believe you."

It was her turn to be surprised. "You...believe me?"

Kakashi smiled through his mask. "Of course. There's no other way you could have that. Why would you lie to me?"

She smiled faintly through the shadow of pain that was always there. "I wouldn't."

"Exactly."

It was getting towards sunset then. Nori laughed ruefully. "I haven't been out here to watch the sun setting in over half a year now."

Kakashi looked over at her calculatingly, trying to judge if she was trying to talk about Iruka or if she was just talking. He gauged that she was just talking to him to break the awkward silence that had sprung up between the two of them, so he said, "That's a shame. It's been beautiful lately, Nori. You're really missing out."

She smiled with a corner of her mouth. "Yeah."

They watched the sun begin to set in silence, until Kakashi looked over at Nori and saw tears on her face. He leaned forward, wiped away her tears, and took her hands in his, murmuring, "I'm here. If you need to talk, I'm here."

At that, Nori began to cry again. "Kakashi...I...it's my fault that Iruka is dead. Because of my strength, people have been killed. I...just before he died...I yelled at him, Kakashi!" Sobs burst forth from her chest, tearing out of the place they had been held captive in for months. "I yelled at him to go get help, that we would both die if he didn't go, but he wouldn't go! Kisame killed him, Kakashi, and I yelled at him just before he got hurt! He died with one of his last memories of me being me yelling at him, calling him weak!" Around that point, her words just couldn't come out any more, and she collapsed into sobs.

Kakashi removed his hands from hers, slid over so their hips were touching, and slid a comforting arm around her shoulders. He knew better than to tell her not to cry, so he simply said, "Nori...it's not your fault. You gave him your life force until you passed out, trying to revive him. I'm sure that's the thing he'll remember most, not that you tried everything you knew to do to make him get help."

She looked up at him with tears glistening in her eyes, but a new expression there, one that Kakashi hadn't seen there in a long time. Hope shimmered in her watery green eyes as she looked up at him and asked, "You're...you're sure?"

Kakashi suddenly became self-conscious of his position, and he took his arm back and slid his hand around hers again, the soft leather of his gloves brushing against her skin. He smiled. "Of course I'm sure."

He was surprised when he felt her fingers tighten around his. In all the times he had tried to hold her hands, it had never been mutual. Although he didn't show his shock, a small part of his happiness slid through as he smiled at her with the eye not hidden by his forehead protector.

Then, disaster struck in the form of Anko.

She walked up, boiling mad that Nori was holding Kakashi's hand, and slapped Nori straight across the face. Kakashi was shocked and angry, although his mask didn't let that show through, but Nori just looked numbly at Anko. "Why did you do that, Anko?"

"Kakashi's my man, and you're holding his hand, you slut!"

Nori took a hold of Anko's wrist and put Kakashi's hand in hers. "You can have him, but please don't call me such names. The only man I've ever loved is dead...because of me. Well...both of them are."

She walked away slowly, leaving a stunned Kakashi and an empathetic Anko looking after her.

Kakashi glared at Anko. "Did you really have to do that? I was just starting to get it through to her that it's not her fault, what happened to Iruka. Now she probably blames herself even more." He snapped.

Anko sighed and said, uncharacteristically softly, "You don't love me, Kakashi. You love her." He put up his hands to deny it, but she just smiled. "I'm not stupid, Kakashi. The way you were looking at her...you've never looked at me that way. You and I...it was over before it started. I was just a substitute." She stood, slid down his mask, and kissed his lips one last time, then replaced his mask. "I hope she makes you happy."

Then, she walked away.

Kakashi got up and stood silently in front of the bench, unsure if he should go left after Nori or right after Anko. He knew that if he went to the left, it would be the last time he and Anko would see each other as more than friends. He thought for a long while. Was it worth losing Anko as a girlfriend, just for the hope that he might, someday, be more than a trusted friend to Umino Nori?

He sighed softly. Then, he turned to the left and began to walk.

So yeah, there's chapter twenty-two! Yay! I'll try not to go to the hospital anymore lol and I'll update soon, I promise!

But review me anyway!

BD333, out!


	23. Wishing on Stars

Ok, mega-long chapter! And to everyone who asked why I was in the hospital, well, we don't know. Unknown stomach condition lol I baffle doctors. Here's the chapter! And it's one of my favorites lol Nori's such a dork though.

"Nori! Wait, Nori!"

Nori paused as she was about to turn to walk the bend in the road. "What is it?"

"I'm so sorry Anko did that, Nori. She was wrong to do that, and-"

"No, Kakashi...she was right."

"What?"

"I was holding your hand. She was right to slap me. You're her boyfriend."

"Not anymore." Kakashi interrupted.

"What?" Asked Nori in surprise.

"Well...we haven't been getting along very well lately, and today...that was the final straw. She let emotion cloud her judgement, and I can't stand that in a kunoichi."

Although he didn't say it, both he and Nori knew that wasn't the real reason. He had broken up with Anko because he wanted a chance with Nori, and they both knew it. Neither addressed it, however, because it would have been too awkward to talk about. Instead, Kakashi asked Nori, "Please...talk with me a little more. There's a bench right there. Please?"

Nori hesitated just long enough to make Kakashi feel anxious before replying, "Ok."

They went over and sat down together, side by side, nearly touching. Kakashi held her hands again, but she was once more unresponsive. At least for a little while. Her fingers tightened around his as she asked, "Please, Kakashi...can we not talk about this any more? Right now, at least?"

He nodded. "That's fine, as long as you know that it wasn't your fault. But...I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" She asked with a little of her old curiosity returning.

"Well, you see...three days from now, I'll be leaving the village on a mission. It's a mission to a place a long way away, and it's an escort mission, so...I won't be back for a while."

Her hand gripped his more firmly as she asked him, "...How long is a while?"

Kakashi looked at her sadly. "Three weeks."

As a ninja, she was trained not to show facial expressions. As a ninja, he was trained to read body language. Therefore, when no expression crossed her face, he looked for other signs as to how she was feeling. Her hand had tightened on his the slightest bit, and her shoulders had tensed up, telling him that she was upset. She had drawn a quick breath before she could stop herself as well, so he knew she was surprised.

He held her hands more tightly, cupped inside his as they were. He drew them up to just below eye level and stared into her eyes across their hands. He was being extremely open for a man, and for a ninja, by making eye contact with her like that, because he knew his guard was down and his emotions would show through, but he also knew that she deserved his honesty, in every way possible, if they were ever going to be more than trusted friends.

She saw in his eye that he was sad to be leaving her, that he would miss her, and that he was worried for her. But she wasn't the only one that could read people's eyes, and he saw that she didn't want him to go, that she'd miss him as well, and that she was afraid for him, too. It was in that moment that he realized that, behind all of the guilt and the apprehension, she really did care for him.

All she said, however, was, "...who's going with you?"

"Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai are the rest of my team." He answered her regretfully, releasing her hands and adjusting his position on the bench.

Nori nodded silently. "So...those three weeks...is that mission length, or does that include travelling time?"

"Travelling time's in there too. Three days from now, I'm leaving. Three weeks from then, I'll be back."

She nodded once more. She didn't know what to say to the news he had just given her. Although she did care for him, she was trying to hide it from herself and the rest of the world, so she couldn't very well just come out and say that she would miss him. Instead, she smiled up at him sadly. "No more late night talks for us, then."

He looked sadly down at her. "Well...not for a while, at least."

She sighed and remained silent, thinking to herself. 'Well, Nori, this is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into. Your friends and Kakashi are leaving the village, your little brothers are both gone, training who knows where and endangering themselves in who knows what ways, and your little sister has no self-confidence in herself yet and won't until she moves along in her progress as a mednin. And somehow, all of it is linked to you. Kakashi and the rest of them, not so much, but I'll miss them. But still...it's my fault that Sakura doesn't believe in herself. I've been the older sibling that everyone praises and encourages, and they discouraged Sakura from even becoming a ninja. It's also my fault that Sasuke is gone. I killed Itachi, and by doing so, I killed his dream. He feels like he's got to become strong enough to be able to kill me, that by doing so he would've been able to kill Itachi. But what he doesn't know...what I should've told him...is that I was only able to kill Itachi so easily because I knew his tricks and I planned ahead. Not just that, but also because Itachi and I...because of our history.' Completely unaware of it, she had begun to twist his ring around on her finger, giving Kakashi a sure sign that she was thinking about something deep. 'And Naruto...if he hadn't needed to get stronger to be able to bring Sasuke back, he'd still be here. I screw up everyone's lives...maybe I should just end mine. I can't think of anyone who would be devastated to lose me, so maybe I-'

At just the right moment, although he didn't know it, Kakashi had interrupted her thoughts by slipping his arm over her shoulders. She looked up at him in surprise as he said, "I'll miss seeing you every day, Nori."

She looked up into his face calculatingly, wondering if she should create the desired response, thinking that maybe she shouldn't. At last, she decided that she should. "I'll miss you too, Kakashi." She said softly and sadly, relaxing into his hold on her shoulders and staring up at the now golden sky. She smiled sadly at the irony. "You see? It's always the most beautiful when I'm feeling the worst."

He was looking down at her in surprise that she had relaxed into him, but his eyes softened with empathetic pain, and he tightened his grip on her, leaning back into the bench. "Well...we've got tomorrow yet, before I leave. I'll take you out."

"On a date?" She asked skeptically.

"Well, kind of. Dinner and a movie, and I'll walk you home. It's not really a date, but it's not just hanging out...it's like a casual date, if that makes sense?"

A small smirk crossed her face at how flustered he had become, and she answered. "Alright. Be at my house at five."

"Sure. We'll go to the Palace, ok?"

"That's fine." She smiled.

"Where do you want to eat?" He asked, oddly certain that he wouldn't mind emptying his wallet for her, sure that he wouldn't mind in the least if she asked to eat at the most expensive restaurant in Konoha.

She thought for a minute or two. Then, she looked up at him and smiled, a real one this time, with real happiness in her eyes. "Ichiraku?"

He looked surprised. "You don't want to go somewhere else, somewhere more classy, more expensive?"

She chuckled a little at that. "I'm a low maintence woman, Kakashi. I don't need the best of everything. It's enough to know that you'd take me there if I wanted to go."

"You don't _need_ the best, Nori, but you deserve it. Won't you let me take you somewhere more expensive? Takai, perhaps?"

She shook her head no, then rested her neck on his arm as she looked up at the sky. The first stars were beginning to appear way up high in the heavens, although not quite as high up as Iruka, from what Itachi told her. Kakashi's eyes followed hers up to the stars, and he smiled. "You know, you're supposed to make a wish on the first star you see."

She smiled. "I don't have anything to wish for."

"I'm sure there's _some_thing you want."

"I...well..." She murmured, thinking that she wanted things to go back to before this whole thing started, but she didn't even want that. Besides having to pick between Iruka and Itachi (again), she'd also have to pick between Iruka and Kakashi. She'd have to lose Naruto and Sasuke all over again, and she would have to face the fact that she was responsible for her sister's inferiority complex once more. And above all, she would have to lose Iruka again, something that she would never want to do again in her lifetime. She frowned. "I can't think of anything."

He smiled at her, removed his arm, and took her hands in his. "Then...we'll wish together. How's that?"

She chuckled. "If you insist."

"Alright." He smiled through the mask. "I insist, then. We'll wish together."

"What are we wishing for?"

"Hmm..." He thought for a long time.

Nori interrupted his thoughts. "Well, let's get into proper hand alignment. We'll decide what to wish for then."

He looked at her oddly. "Proper...hand...alignment?"

She blushed. "I saw it in a movie once."

He nodded. "How does it work?"

"Well...you press your hands together with the other person's, palms together. Then, you're supposed to look up at the star, close your eyes, and wish as hard as you can."

"Like this?" Kakashi held up his right hand, fingers together, and Nori brought her hand up to meet his, significantly smaller, less calloused, and with longer nails.

"Exactly like that." She smiled and held up her right hand so he could meet it with his left.

"Now what?" He asked with a teasing tone to his voice.

"Well, now we need a wish." She said with a quirky little smile.

"The same wish for both of us?"

She nodded.

"Hmm...well...this is harder than I thought." He laughed.

"How about something simple?" Asked Nori. "Something easy."

He looked at Nori for a long time until she began to feel slightly awkward. Then, he asked, "How about we wish for happiness?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, happiness. For both of us. You could definitely use some happiness in your life right now, and it wouldn't be bad for me, either, so...why not?" She looked down, and a realization struck him like a bullet. "Unless...Nori...you don't think you're...not _allowed_ to be happy! Do you? Is that what you think?" She looked up at him with the truth written all over her face, and he cupped his right hand against her cheek. "Nori...never think that. _Never_. You _know_ that Iruka would want you to be happy. You know that, Nori!"

Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. "Kakashi...I..."

"...you what?" He asked carefully, moving his hand to her shoulder.

But she was no longer with him. Being with Kakashi then and hearing those words had brought back part of a memory she had blocked out for a long time, of the day Iruka died.

_He felt her tears running down her arms and onto his chest, and he smiled weakly, knowing that they were stinging the wound left from Kisame's sword, but she was trying so hard to save him that she didn't even realize it. "Don't be all alone...when I die, find someone else to love. Please, Nori...you're too young to be a widow."_

_"Iruka..." Her tears increased until it was hard for her to see what she was doing. "Iruka, if you were going to die, I would promise you that. But you're not going to die. I won't let you."_

_His smile wavered as he coughed out even more blood. "Humor me?"_

_She was sobbing now as she answered, "I...I promise, Iruka..."_

"I...promised him." She whispered in shock.

"What did you promise?"

Kakashi's voice snapped her back to the present, and she looked up at him in surprise. "It's nothing. Nevermind." She answered, not wanting to talk to him about it just yet. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying," He responded, slightly annoyed at her apparent lack of focus. "That Iruka would want you to be happy, no matter what. You know that, don't you?"

"I...I do now." She swallowed, then looked up at him shyly. "Now...l-let's make that wish!"

Kakashi smiled down at Nori, amused at her stutter of embarrassment. "Alrighty then. I guess it's time, hmm?"

Nori smiled, glad that he wasn't teasing her as she had assumed he would. "Yeah."

He took his hand off of her shoulder and put it in the air beside their other hands, still pressed together. She pressed her hand up against his, the soft leather of his glove feeling warm from the heat of his skin.

"So now...we wish." He smiled at her. "How does that part go again?"

"Look up at the star, close your eyes, and wish as hard as you can." She smiled back.

She could see her reflection in his eye as he asked, "And what are we wishing for again?"

She knew he was teasing her this time by his tone of voice, and there was laughter in hers when she answered, a sound that Kakashi was more relieved than words could say to hear it once more in her voice. "Happiness."

He smiled. "That's right."

"Well, then...on the count of three?"

"Sure. One..."

"Two..."

"Three." They said it at the same time. Together, they looked up at the same star, closed their eyes tightly, and wished for happiness with all of the hope they had left in them.

Then, they looked back down at each other and smiled.

Yeah. She's a dork, but ya gotta love her :D

BD333, out!


	24. A Date With Sensei!

Hmm...well I was thinking to myself...I LOVE THIS CHAPTER! Here it is!

"Well, I'd better be heading home. Mom's going to start to worry, and then she'll send Sakura, and ever since I taught her how to track me by scent she's been following me around the village. See you later?" The way Nori put it, it was more of a question than a farewell.

"Soon, actually." Kakashi answered her with a mask-hidden grin. "Tomorrow at five, remember?"

"No, I forgot." She teased. "Yeah, Featherdusterhead, I remember."

He frowned at the new nickname, but just reached over and tweaked her nose, making her wrinkle it as he laughed. "Good, Freckles, I'll be there." She put her fingers over her nose self-consciously, and he laughed and drew her hand away from her face. "It's alright, Nori, they're cute. Don't worry."

She blushed, despite self-warnings not to. She just frowned more when she did, though. "I won't call you Featherdusterhead if you don't call me Freckles. Deal?"

He laughed. "Deal."

She smiled. "Well, in that case...see you at five, Kakashi."

So saying, she walked away towards her house, leaving Kakashi behind in the park. He watched the remaining bit of light until it had completely left the sky, feeling happier and more carefree than he had in a long time. He had managed to get Nori to realize that she was allowed to be happy, and he had a date with her the next day. What more could he want?

He smiled as he realized that his part of their wish had already come true.

Nori, meanwhile, had reached her house. "Mom?"

"In the kitchen, honey."

"Ah." She migrated to her kitchen. "I'm going out tomorrow night."

"Oh?" She asked, looking up. Her attention had been grabbed. "On a date?"

"Well, kind of. It's not a _date_ date, but it's not just hanging out. It's a casual date."

"I see." Her mom nodded with a sly smile. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"Mom." She complained, then continued normally. "You remember Kakashi, right?"

"The one that was here to take you dancing? Wasn't he the same one Sakura invited to your birthday?"

Nori's cheeks turned crimson as she remembered her surprise birthday party. She had been getting ready to shower and had gone downstairs in her towel to get her shampoo, and Sakura had chose that moment to surprise her. Needless to say, Nori hadn't been the only person that was surprised. Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, Asuma, Naruto, and her family had been rather surprised as well. "Yeah. That'd be him."

"Yes, I remember. Quite handsome, if memory serves."

"Yeah, well, we're going to eat and to a movie."

"Dinner _and_ a movie? He's not cutting it cheap, is he?"

"Well, we're going to Ichiraku. But!" She said to her mother's look, somehow feeling protective of Kakashi. "It was my idea. He wanted to take me to Takai, but I asked him if we could go to Ichiraku instead."

"Takai?!" Her mother exclaimed. "That's the most expensive restaurant in town! Even the name means expensive!"

Nori smiled. "Yes, I know this. I wanted to go to Ichiraku, though, so he agreed, but he doesn't really want to take me there."

Her mother nodded in approval and went back to the dishes she was washing. "You certainly have been seeing a lot of him lately, haven't you?"

"Not really." Said Nori. "We're good friends."

"Are you sure you're just friends?" Her mother asked slyly. "In my day, if a man that good looking showed an interest in me..."

Nori blushed. "He hasn't 'shown an interest' in me, mother. We're _just friends._"

"Alright, honey. Whatever you say. Maybe things have changed since I was your age, but we considered it dating if two people went out dancing and then to dinner and a movie."

"Mom, that was sixth months ago!"

"And in those sixth months, you two have also trained together eight or nine times, not to mention helping with training excercises at the Academy, and he came to your birthday."

"Yeah, but...it doesn't count!" Frowned Nori. "We're just friends, mom. That's all!"

"Of course." Her mother nodded.

Exasperated, Nori decided it was time to take her leave. "Anyhow, Kakashi will be here at five. I don't know how long it'll take, so I'll be in before midnight, alright?"

"That's fine, honey. Have fun."

"Thanks, mom."

Nori stole up the stairs stealthily, but her mom called up, "Where's this guy taking you to the movie?"

Nori was for some reason irritated that her mother called him 'this guy', so she said, "He's taking me to The Palace, and his name is Hatake Kakashi, not just 'this guy'."

As Nori's bedroom door shut, the bathroom door opened, and Sakura came out. 'Did she just say Kakashi-sensei was taking her to the Palace?'

Curious, she wandered downstairs and into the kitchen. "Mom?"

"Hello, honey."

"Where's nii-san going?"

"Not tonight, honey, tomorrow. Kakashi is taking her to eat and to a movie. He wants to take her to Takai and The Palace."

"Nii-san is going on a date with my sensei?!" Sakura exclaimed. 'And to Takai? That's so expensive!'

"It seems that way." Her mother smiled.

Sakura had to find out from the source just what was going on, so she went upstairs to Nori's room. "Nii-san, you're going on a date to Takai and the Palace with my sensei?!"

Nori sighed in exasperation. "No. Mom got her facts wrong. We're going on a _friendly adventure_ to Ichiraku and The Palace. He wanted to take me to Takai, but I wouldn't let him waste his money like that. And it's not a date!"

"Oh." Sakura nodded. "You and Kakashi-sensei have been training a lot, though, haven't you? Do you..._like_ him?"

'Jesus! Have I really been with him that much?' Thought Nori as she answered, "No, Sakura, of course not! We're just friends. _Friends._ Good friends, yes, but that and only that."

"Oh." Said Sakura once more. "Ok then, because that would be really weird if you dated my sensei. Or married him! Hatake Noriko...oh my god, Kakashi-sensei would be my big brother! Weird!"

"Aren't you late for something." Nori asked in a flat tone of voice with an accompanying facial expression that looked like this: --

"Oh my gosh! Not yet, but I'm going to be if I don't hurry, and Tsunade-sama hates in when I'm late for training! Thanks, nii-san! See you later!" Sakura ran out of Nori's room, down the stairs, and out towards training with Tsunade. 'Hang on...nii-san didn't know I have training today...'

Nori sighed and rolled over onto her back.

"Thank you, Tsunade."

Hahaha I bet Sakura can't believe it. I love this chapter lol

Review me! cuz u love me :D

BD333 out!


	25. Date Prep in the Haruno Household

I. AM. SOOOOOOO. SORRY.

"Sakura!"

Sakura skidded into Nori's room to find her digging through her closet, dressed only in her favorite hip-hugging black pants and a bra. "What is it, nii-san?"

"Did you borrow my shirt again?"

"That green one? No, nii-san, I haven't worn it."

"Damn it! What am I going to wear now?! Fuck!" Nori anxiously began pacing.

'Not a date my ass.' Sakura smirked, then said innocently, "Why don't you wear that blue one?"

"What blue one?"

"That tank top. You know...the one with the dragon on it?"

"Oh! Yeah, that's perfect! Thank you, Sakura!"

Nori rushed headlong into her closet, searching for the afore mentioned tank top, and Sakura sank down onto Nori's bed. "Why are you so nervous, nii-san?"

"I...I'm not nervous. I just don't want him to think badly of me."

"Please. Sensei couldn't think any higher of you if you rescued an orphan or two from a burning building."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Sakura." Mumbled Nori, red-faced and trying to find her shirt.

"Uhm, nii-san?"

Nori turned to Sakura, and Sakura pointed to the closet directly above Nori's head. Nori turned and saw the shirt hanging right in front of her face.

She blushed. "Thanks, Sakura." She slid into the tank top quickly, then went over to her mirror and began to fuss with her hair.

"You're sure you're not nervous, nii-san?"

"Of course I'm sure, Sakura! Why won't you believe me?"

"...because you're trying to brush your hair with your body mist."

Nori, blushing, put her scented body mist down and picked up her hairbrush. "Ok. I'll admit it. I'm a little teeny bit nervous." She began to comb her hair down. "Only the slightest little bit, however."

She nodded. "Your hair looks fine, nii-san."

She smiled and then began to apply her makeup. A little bit of clear lipgloss and some foundation was all she applied, along with some light blue eyeshadow. She picked up her eyeliner, but then remembered when they had gone dancing, Kakashi had said that she looked better without it, and she put it down.

"No eyeliner, nii-san?"

"He says I look better without it." The surprised look she saw on Sakura's face made her realize that she shouldn't have said that particular bit of her reasoning. "I...mean...he _probably_ would say---it'll irritate my contacts!"

"Real smooth, nii-san." Sakura teased. "You don't wear contacts."

"Damn it."

"He's right, though, nii-san. You do look better without it!"

Nori studied her reflection and found that Kakashi had been right. She did look better without eyeliner on. She smiled and blushed, mentally thankful that it looked ok when she blushed, not realizing that she was already thinking that she'd be doing a lot of it.

Sakura laughed. "Nii-san, your femininity is showing!"

"Where?!" Nori laughed.

It was a long-standing joke between them. Nori was seven years older than Sakura, and when Sakura was six, Nori had been thirteen. One day, Sakura made a smart choice, and Nori had told her that her maturity was showing. Sakura, not ready for big words like that, thought Nori was talking about underwear and had checked all over, asking, "Where?!" Their joke had expanded over the years to include any moderately large words.

"Anyhow, nii-san," Said Sakura, snapping Nori back to the present. "You look fine. Spritz on some body mist, and your outfit is complete." She smiled. Nori reached for a bottle, and Sakura sweatdropped. "That's the hairspray, nii-san."

"Oh. Right, right, I knew that." Nori sat it down. "I was just...um...moving it to..._get_ to the body mist. Yeah." She picked up her body mist and spritzed herself with it, then stood nervously in front of the mirror. "Oh...oh no. I look horrible. I've got to change."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Nori's natural blonde dimensions were shining through in her clean, soft brown hair. Her dark eyes flashed and shimmered invitingly, and her clothes showed off her body without making her seem cheap and easy. Yet, Nori seemed to think that she looked bad.

"Don't be ridiculous, nii-san, you look wonderful! I'm sure Kakashi-sensei will fall in love when he sees you!"

"You really think so?" Nori asked Sakura.

Sakura let the question hang so Nori had time to hear the note in her voice that said that she really wanted Sakura to be right before answering. "I _know_ so."

Nori blushed. "Then...then I should stay in this?"

"Definitely. Besides, it's almost five. You don't have time."

With that, Nori's heart began to beat against her ribs. "Oh, god...Sakura, I don't know if I'm ready for this...even though it _is_ just a friendly adventure, this is the first time I've gone out on a-" She stuttered. "D-d-date...since Iruka died. What if I mess it up?"

Sakura wasn't used to being treated like an adult by Nori, and although it was somewhat liberating, it was more scary than anything. She was growing up now, and Nori wasn't perfect. She was being forced to see that, although her sister was good at everything she did and perfectly pretty, she had an inferiority complex the size of the Hokage mountain. "N-n-nii-san..." stuttered Sakura, stunned by the revelation. "You won't. You're perfect."

Nori looked over at Sakura, studying her intently for so long that Sakura grew uncomfortable. Then, she smiled. "Thank you, Sakura." She answered, sounding like her old self. "I'm glad you think so. I do look pretty fly, huh?" She laughed as she joked.

Sakura, glad to have her big sister back, giggled. "Yeah. You'd better keep a close eye on my perverted old sensei, nii-san!"

Nori began to laugh. "Wow...even my little sister knows that he's a pervert. Ah, well. It's not exactly a secret when he runs around reading porno in front of you guys."

Sakura laughed. "I don't think he even reads it. I think he mostly carries it around to keep up his image. Notice how he's always on the same page?"

"...you know what page he's on?"

Sakura blushed. "Oh, no, no, no, I didn't mean---I've never looked at---!"

Nori burst out laughing and winked. "Gotcha."

Sakura frowned, but just then, the doorbell rang. Nori looked apprehensive for a second, and Sakura thought, 'Uh-oh...here it comes! If I were her, I'd be freaking out right now! Here comes the fear.'

But Nori just took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing, Sakura. Wish me luck!"

And she walked out of her room and down the stairs to greet her date for the evening.

SOOOOOOOOO. SORRY.

BD333, out.


	26. Dinner and a Shooting Star

Ok, you guys, I'm sorry it's been so long ;

I need to write more for this, so this'll be the last chapter for a month or two...but it's extra long to compensate:)

"Nori-!"

"I know, Mom. I heard." Nori smiled, coming into the kitchen.

Her mother and Kakashi stood there, and both looked in surprise at Nori. Neither of them had seen her looking that good since before Iruka's death. Immediately, Kakashi felt flustered. This was the woman he had fallen for, even before she and Iruka had dated.

Nori, however, was having a similar reaction to the way Kakashi was dressed. He was wearing a pair of dressy slacks that were blacker than midnight, and an open-collared shirt that was the ashy color of soot. He was wearing the mask this time, not wanting to repeat the awkward moments of their last 'friendly adventure', but even that seemed to hug his face and neck in just the right way to make it sexy.

All in all, they were both feeling pretty flustered.

Nori, however, had learnt a long time ago that no matter how insecure she was feeling, if she acted confident, guys would buy it. So she pulled herself together and said, "Well, Kakashi, you ready to go?"

"I...certainly. I see you're ready as well."

"Of course." She smiled, but Kakashi saw the corners of her mouth wobble as she did and knew in that instant that she was just as nervous as he was, and that put him at ease.

"Well then," He said, the awkwardness gone from his voice. "I suppose it's time to go."

"Right." She answered. "Don't want to be late to the movie, now do we?"

"Of course not." He replied, now rather enjoying their game of masking emotions. "We'd better go. It was great seeing you again, Haruno-san."

"It was lovely seeing you too, Kakashi." Answered Nori's mother, masking a smirk as she realized that Nori and Kakashi were acting like school children with their awkward gestures and comments. "Have fun, Nori. Stay out as long as you'd like."

"Mom, we're going to a double feature that starts at 7:30. It'll be over at 10:30."

"Oh, I know, honey, but if you'd like to go somewhere afterwards, feel free. I won't wait up for you."

Nori rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Mom. See you later."

She swept past Kakashi to walk towards the door, and he followed her as if in a trance, almost forgetting to say goodbye to her mother in the process. Meanwhile, Mrs. Haruno just smiled and turned back to her dishes. 'That girl...'

Sakura, meanwhile was watching from the top of the stairs as Nori and Kakashi walked out into the foyer, and she stared at Kakashi in surprise, nearly revealing her position. 'I've never seen sensei in clothes except for his Jounin uniform. I...I can see why nii-san would think he was attractive!' She thought in shock.

Kakashi opened the door for Nori, and she smiled at him. "Thanks." Then, she paused for a second. "I think I left the curling iron on, Sakura. Could you check for me?"

Blushing, Sakura hurried from her hiding place to Nori's room. Nori laughed as she headed out of the house and Kakashi followed, shutting the door behind them. "Did you really leave the curling iron on?"

"No." Nori laughed even more. "I didn't even use it. I just figured she should know she can't sneak up on me yet."

Kakashi laughed as well. "Well...that's one way to do it."

"You bet." Nori smiled.

After a long silence, Kakashi asked, "So, how's Sakura's training as a medical ninja coming?"

Nori and Kakashi discussed her training for a while, until Kakashi thought to ask, "Nori, you're one of the greatest medical ninjas ever. Why is Tsunade training her?"

"Well..." Nori looked somewhat thoughtful. Kakashi assumed that she was trying to think of reasons, but she was just wondering if it would be alright to tell him. "The council thinks that I might go easy on Sakura because I'm her older sister. Also...my powers aren't exactly up to par right now, and Tsunade and I are equal as medical ninjas when I'm fully able to heal. So Tsunade was the only logical choice."

Kakashi sensed that Nori was a little sore that her powers still weren't up to par, so he changed the subject. They talked for most of the walk to Ichiraku, but grew silent as they entered the restaurant. They were happily greeted by the old man.

"Ayame! Look who's finally decided to show up!"

"Nori-chan!" Ayame exclaimed. "Oh, and Kakashi-san! Hello!"

Kakashi nodded with a smile, and Nori smiled in reply. "Hello Ayame, hello jii-san."

The old man smiled. "You haven't been here in quite a while, Nori. What'll it be?"

"The old favorite." She grinned. "Miso pork."

"How about you, Kakashi-san?"

"Today's special sounds good."

"Coming right up." He turned around to start cooking their food, leaving Kakashi and Nori alone to talk.

Nori was a little disoriented. She now realized that it might have been a bad idea to ask him to take her to Ichiraku, seeing as how she and Iruka had had their first date there. Looking over at Kakashi, she saw Iruka sitting there for a split second, and it threw her off. Her smile wavering, she looked down into the bowl that was placed in front of her sadly. 'I shouldn't've come here...not tonight.'

She picked up her chopsticks at the same time Kakashi did, and he smiled at her. For some reason, the smile he gave her cheered her up and made her, if not forget her troubles, at least push them to the back of her mind.

Kakashi and Nori didn't talk much, both of them feeling too awkward. Instead, they chatted happily with Teushi and Ayame. Jealousy boiled in Nori at the way Ayame looked at Kakashi, but she hid it, as any half-decent kunoichi would. Finally, they were finished with their noodles. Kakashi looked over at Nori. "We'd better get going, eh? We've got fifteen minutes until the movie starts, and we've got to walk the whole way across town."

"Yup, we'd better get moving." She stood, stretching her back out. "How much?"

Kakashi opened his mouth to protest, but Teushi beat him to it. "It's on the house."

"Huh?" Asked Nori.

Teushi looked at her sadly. "Nori, you used to come here all the time. Ayame and I consider you a part of the family because you came here so much. Since Iruka's death, you haven't been here once. It lifts my heart to see you out and about again, even if it's just going to a movie. It's on the house."

There were tears in her voice as she answered, "Thanks, Teushi-jiisan." But there were none on her face.

Kakashi, looking at her, wondered why. Then, he jumped in surprise and sadness as he realized that she wasn't crying because she didn't have any tears left to cry. As they left the shop, thanking Ayame and Teushi, he slid his arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him, surprised, and he looked back down at her. "You don't mind, do you?"

She looked down for a while, and then looked back up at him with slightly surprised eyes. "No." She said wonderingly.

He smiled as he realized that she was surprised at herself. Then, looking up at the moon, he tightened his grip on her shoulders. "See that, Nori?"

She looked up to see what he was talking about, and then she tilted her head in confusion. "That belt there...is that the milky way?"

He smiled. "Yup. I've never seen it before, but I've seen it in pictures, and that's definitely it."

"I've never seen it either...we're lucky to be seeing it, hmm?"

"Yeah." Without tilting his head back down, he turned his eyes toward hers to see her looking up at the sky with wonder. "I'm definitely lucky to be seeing this."

Nori was out of practice at reading the undertones in men's voices, especially this man's, so she didn't realize that he was talking about something other than the milky way. Instead, as he turned his eyes back to the stars, she gasped. "Did you see that, Kakashi?"

Underneath his mask, he was grinning. "Yeah, I saw it."

A shooting star had shot across the heavens, streaking them with gold for a split second before fading back to normal splendor. Kakashi looked at Nori. "You know what that means, right?"

She looked back at him with a smile on her face as well. "Yeah. Time to make a wish?"

When he spoke, laughter mixed with his voice. "You bet it is. Shall we get into 'proper hand alignment'?" He teased.

Her cheeks turned red, and his knees turned weak, but she was oblivious. "Well, I didn't know what to call it, ok?...but yeah."

In the middle of the street, they stopped moving. They put their hands together, and Nori looked up into Kakashi's eye with a smile in both of hers. Looking down into her bright blue orbs, he was smiling as well. "Well, Noriko?" He asked, his voice husky-sounding. "What should we wish for?"

"I'm not sure, Hatake Kakashi." She returned. "You pick."

"Hmm..." He thought. "We already wished for happiness. How about we wish for luck?"

"Luck?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"No reason. Alright, let's do it."

They looked up at the star and wished frantically, then looked back down at each other.

"Do you think it worked?" Nori asked.

"I don't know." Kakashi shrugged. "But I do know that if we don't get a move on, we're going to miss our movie."

"Right!" Nori laughed. "I'll race you!"

He grinned through the mask. "You're on!"

"Ready, set-"

"Go!"

Laughing, he sprinted forward. She raced after him, laughing. "Cheater!"

"I'm not a cheater. I'm a ninja!"

And, laughing like she used to before Iruka had died, she chased him.

I added some fluff in...but yeah. Like I said, it'll be a while until more chapters are up. If you'd like, I have some other stories up that are interesting! Mainly Suicide and Psychos, and Never Say Goodbye, but my personal favorite is To Protect the Aburame, because Shino needs some lovin' too:)

BlackDragon333, out...for quite a while!


	27. A Friendly Adventure

Alright guys. I'm MEGA sorry for the long wait, and I know it's been FOREVER since I updated, and there's no excuse for that. But I've been working hard, and this story should catch up pretty fast =]

Here we go!

~~~~~O.O~~~~~

When Nori finally caught up to Kakashi outside of the movie theater, they were both laughing. She jumped onto his back, laughing, and the silver-haired Jounin caught her with a smile on his face, though she couldn't see it. "Hey! And you call _me_ a cheater!"

She laughed. "What was it you said? Oh yeah...I'm not a cheater, I'm a ninja!"

He laughed and let go of her legs. She clung tightly to his back for a split second before he caught her again. "What kind of a ninja falls for that bluff?" He laughed. "You know I'd never drop you like that."

She just smiled, raised a hand, and attacked his hair. "That's true. Which is why it's safe for me to mess up your gravity-defying hair." She laughed and continued to muss his hair. He turned his head and looked up at her. His hair hung down in his face, and he glared up at her through it.

She laughed so hard she fell off his back. Sitting on the cement outside of the movie theater, holding her stomach from laughing so hard, she still laughed. Kakashi's glower faded, and he ran a hand through his hair, which instantly went back to normal. Smiling, he held his hand down to her. "Come on." He laughed. "We'll miss the beginning if we don't hurry."

She smiled, took his hand, and stood, leaving her hand in his for an extra moment before slowly withdrawing it. Then, she smiled. "So, who's buying tickets and who's buying soda and popcorn?"

"I'm buying both." He replied nonchalantly as they got in line. Then, leaving her no time to argue, he asked, "What are we seeing?"

"I don't know. What's playing?"

"Uh...well, double features, so The Notebook and In Pursuit of Happyness, Terms of Endearment and Titanic...300 and Jeepers Creepers..." He added the last, thinking that he'd be dragged into seeing Titanic.

"300! Yeah! Let's see that!"

He looked surprised. "You know there's a lot of blood in that, right? And killing?"

She put a hand on her hip. "Please. I'm a ninja, Kakashi. I see it all the time. Girls enjoy that kind of movie too, you know."

He put a hand on the back of his neck. "Right. Sorry."

She smiled forgivingly. "It's alright. Hey, I need to visit the restroom. I'll meet you in the lobby, alright?"

"Sure. This line's pretty long, so you'll probably be there before me."

"Well, I'll be waiting." Smiling, she trotted off towards the restrooms.

He watched her go with a smile on his face, his eye shining happily. He heard a voice behind him. "Hey, loverboy. Keep your eyes in your head. And, uh...you got a little drool there, buddy."

He turned around, and Asuma and Kurenai were standing there. He shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kurenai turned to Asuma. "Speaking of Nori...I saw the most beautiful shirt the other day, and I bought it. I'm thinking about giving it to Nori, since it's yellow, and yellow's her favorite color."

Kakashi interrupted. "Her favorite color's green."

Kurenai grinned slyly. "How do you know that, Kakashi?"

He frowned, mentally slapping himself. 'Damn it. I walked right into that one.' He shrugged. "It came up in conversation."

"That's all you guys talk about?" Asked Asuma.

"We don't really talk much." Kakashi winced when Asuma grinned at him suggestively and Kurenai laughed. "T-that's not what I meant!"

Asuma laughed. "_Sure_ it's not. Hey, you're up."

As Kakashi paid for the tickets to 300, he heard Asuma and Kurenai talking. "So, what are we seeing, Kurenai?"

"What's playing?"

"Uh...The Notebook and In Pursuit of Happyness, Terms of Endearment and Titanic, and 300 and Jeepers Creepers." The last was said hopefully.

"Oooh!" She squealed. "Let's see The Notebook and In Pursuit of Happyness!"

Asuma sighed. "Alright."

Kakashi turned, unable not to feel a little smug. "Well, Asuma and Kurenai, I'll see you later. I'm off to find Nori. 300 and Jeepers Creepers won't wait for us to get in there before they start."

Asuma sulked as he bought their tickets, and Kakashi headed into the lobby. He frowned when he saw Nori, but he laughed. "Alright. Next time, I'm not going to believe you when you tell me you need to go to the bathroom."

Nori laughed as she stood there with popcorn and soda. She handed him his soda, then looped her arm through his. "Shall we?"

He smiled, getting into the act. "It would be my pleasure."

He led her over to the gate, and they went in and settled down towards the back of the theater. They chatted happily as the previews came on, then fell silent as 300 came on. They watched the movie in relative silence. Finally, when the Spartans were building the wall of bodies, Kakashi's stomach turned. He looked over at Nori to make sure she'd be alright and found her sitting on the edge of her seat, her hands on the armrests and her eyes sparkling. He smiled to himself. 'Not your average kunoichi.'

There was a ten minute intermission between the two features. The movie ended and the credits rolled, and Nori freaked out. "That was the best movie I've ever seen in my life! Leonidus is _so_ hardcore!"

Kakashi laughed. "It's the ultimate testosterone movie."

She grinned. "You bet it is! I feel like standing up and hurling a javelin twenty yards away to knock a guy off his horse!"

He laughed. "You act like this movie's changed your life."

"It has." She said seriously. Then, she laughed.

He laughed as well. Then, he stood up. "Well, hey, I'll be back. I need to go-"

"Drain the main vein?" Suggested Nori.

He looked surprised. "I was going to say 'to the bathroom'...but that works too, I guess." Then, he laughed. "You really _are_ hopped up on testosterone, thanks to that movie."

She sweatdropped. "What can I say?"

He just laughed and headed out, leaving Nori by herself in the theater. It hadn't been a minute until she heard, "Nori!" and got kicked, literally, out of her seat.

She stood up with a smile and punched her assailant in the face. "Hey, Gai! Wasn't that the _best_ movie?!"

"Yeah! I feel like standing up and hurling a javelin twenty yards away to knock a guy off his horse!"

"Oh my god! Me too! I said the same thing to Kakashi!"

"Kakashi? My rival is here?!"

"Well, he's-"

"Getting popcorn at the moment." Announced Kakashi, coming up behind Nori.

"Kakashi!" She scolded. "You never let me pay for anything! And that's _my_ trick!"

He laughed. "Well, you're not supposed to. It's the man's responsibility to pay."

Gai clapped him on the back. "I'm glad you two have finally seen the light! How long have you been dating?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, and Nori blushed. "We're not, Gai." She answered him, sweatdropping.

"Oh. But...you're on a date, aren't you?"

"It's more of a 'friendly adventure', if you will." Kakashi replied.

"Oh." Gai responded. "Well, the movie's starting. I'll let you two get back to your _'friendly adventure_'."

The sarcasm and what was implied by that statement combined to make both Nori and Kakashi blush. Sinking into their seats, they awkwardly joked around until the movie started. Even though he was embarrassed, Kakashi still found the courage to slip his arm around her shoulders.

And even though Nori was feeling self-conscious, she still was able to relax into him.

~~~~~O.O~~~~~

So, that's the end of the chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, because it's been WAY overdue for an update.

Until next time!

BD333, out!


	28. The Titanic

Hey everyone! What's up? Sorry I'm so late with this...it's been a rough time, and I'm just getting back on my feet as a writer. Expect more, and soon!

.

.

.

Now, as we all know, Nori isn't the most dainty kunoichi, and she doesn't mind bloodshed. Jeepers Creepers, though, was an entirely different story. Within the first half hour, she was clinging to Kakashi, terrified beyond reason. Kakashi, meanwhile, though his stomach had turned at the bloodshed in 300, was completely relaxed while watching this movie. It wasn't that he wasn't scared---he was. But Nori was obviously more scared, and therefore, he had to be strong for her.

At one particularly brutal point, Nori hugged him tightly, her arms around his waist, and buried her head in his shoulder. Completely distracted from the movie by this new level of familiarity with his body, Kakashi looked down at her intently. "Nori?"

She acknowledged the sound of his voice by tightening her grip on his waist, but otherwise, she ignored him, preferring not to look at the screen. He smiled, not afraid of the movie at all now. He put his other arm around her too, then bent his head to whisper in her ear. "Nori, it's just a movie. Besides, he's done now. You can look."

She warily peeked out from his chest to see that, indeed, she was able to watch. He looked at her with a teasing grin. "I thought you wanted to watch 300 and this."

She smiled. "300, yes. I had no desire at all to see Jeepers Creepers. I don't mind gory movies, but scary movies are terrifying!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have minded leaving early."

She looked down, blushing though he couldn't see it in the dark theater, and mumbled incoherently.

"What?" He asked.

"I...well...you're leaving tomorrow...and...I'll miss you, okay?!" The last was said a little defensively.

He was silent for a long time. Finally, she felt his grip tighten on her shoulders. "I'll miss you too, Nori." He said quietly.

She sighed, leaned back into him, and turned her attention back to the movie. Almost immediately, she ducked her head back against Kakashi's shoulder. He held her close, thinking. Finally, he stood, pulling her with him.

"Where are we going?" Whispered Nori, trying to be mindful of the other moviegoers.

He smiled. "Just come on."

Sighing in exasperation, she followed him. He led her out of their theater, across the aisle, and into the theater next to theirs.

"Kakashi?" She murmured, wondering.

"Shh." He warned, a grin on his face. With an 'I give up' grin, Nori complied.

They went to sit down, and the movie came on. Nori looked at Kakashi with a raised eyebrow. "Titanic?" She whispered skeptically.

He shrugged, smiling. "You didn't want to watch Jeepers Creepers, and I knew this was starting later, so...you know..."

She hugged him.

He looked surprised when she did. 'She's normally so distant...I don't know if she's opening up to me now because I'm leaving, or if she just trusts me. Either way...I certainly am glad she is.'

Thinking along these lines, he hugged her back, feeling how they fit together so perfectly, almost as if they had been made for each other. Then, he released her, leaning back into his seat. He left his arm around her, feeling as though he was pushing his boundaries but knowing that, if he wanted to win her heart, he'd have to push those boundaries. She had so many doubts and uncertainties in her life already, and he didn't want to be another one. He wanted to be the one thing that was simple for her, and he wanted his affection to be the one thing she knew for certain to be true.

She smiled up at him, then leaned into his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. They settled down, ready to watch the movie.

A while later, as Jack sunk to the bottom of the ocean, Nori watched, dry-eyed. 'I can't believe Rose let him float there! She could have moved over, or they could have taken turns! Jesus!'

She felt a muscle tremor shoot through Kakashi's arm, and she looked up at his face. She was completely shocked to see a solitary tear ramble down Kakashi's face, or at least the part of it that wasn't covered by his mask. She reached up to his face and gently wiped it away, conveying more tender feelings than she had actually meant to. As he looked down at her with vague surprise on his face, she smiled up at him and hugged him, acutely aware of the hard, solid feel of the muscles under his skin. Then, she turned her eyes back to the movie, not leaving him time to ponder why she wasn't crying.

He was, however, distracted by the thought. 'This is supposed to be the ultimate love story. I'm a shinobi, a _male_ shinobi, and I'm crying. She's barely into adulthood, and she's not crying at all.'

Almost as if she could read his mind, she said, "You're wondering why I'm not crying, aren't you, Kakashi?"

He nodded.

"Because Rose is an idiot, and selfish beyond belief. She let her lover give up his life for her without a second thought. She could have taken turns with him, but no. She had to be selfish. This scene just changes the whole movie. It's not love if you can let someone go like that. It's lust."

He thought about that for a while and realized that Nori was pretty much right. He wouldn't go so far as to say that it wasn't love, but he did agree that Rose was being selfish, though he could never voice that opinion. Finally, he realized why Nori might actually have been feeling angry. She thought that Iruka had been killed because of her, and she would've done anything to save him. Rose, on the other hand, had almost willingly let Jack die.

Mentally, Kakashi was beating himself up. 'Why would I take her to this?! I knew...I _knew_ she wasn't over Iruka, and I took her to see an ageless love story where the male lead dies?! What was I _thinking_?'

Nori, on the other hand, had made the connection to Iruka earlier. However, unlike what Kakashi was thinking, she hadn't been upset by it. It did her good to see that she had done better than another woman, albeit a fictional one, who had been in her place. Though she did have a bitter thought or two ('I wonder if Rose ever has nights when she dreams so vividly of Jack that she wakes up expecting to see him.'), Nori was actually coping quite well.

When the movie ended, she and Kakashi left the theater, not seeing anyone they knew. It was eleven at night, and they both thought that it was too early to call it a night, so they got hot chocolates and jumped up to their favorite roof to sit.

"Listen, Nori...I'm sorry I took you into Titanic. I...I wasn't thinking, frankly, and-"

Her laughter broke him off. "It's alright, Kakashi."

"Huh?"

"I'm alright, Kakashi. I'm doing well."

"You...you're alright with talking about him?"

She smiled. "You can say his name, you know."

Kakashi looked at Nori in surprise once more. "So...you're okay to talk about...Iruka?" He said fearfully, almost as though he thought that mentioning his name would send Nori into a depression.

She smiled. "Yeah. I know you feel bad that you took me to see Titanic because of the plot, but the fact is, I'm actually a little relieved. I mean, at least I attempted to save the man I loved, unlike _some_one."

Kakashi beamed at her. "I'm glad you finally realize that."

"Huh?"

"I've been trying to tell you that for a long, long time. It's not your fault, it never was, and you did the best you could possibly have done, given the circumstances."

Nori took a long drink of her hot chocolate. She stared pensively up at the sky as she remarked, "Yeah...maybe I did."

.

.

.

So Nori's getting more hopeful, and so am I. We'll work through our problems together. :D

~BD333, out.


End file.
